Academy
by Mocking Verse
Summary: Training for the Games isn't illegal. District Two takes that to full advantage; putting their children through The Academy, to train from age twelve for the next six years of their life. Follow Cain as she goes into The Academy alongside her partner. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Hey thanks for clicking on this story! So, I'll start with simple background info:**

**This story takes place in a slightly AU, where it is not illegal for tributes to train for the Hunger Games. Some Districts (ie the Career Districts) have set up academies for the children to train at. It's kinda like college. Also another twist here: there can be two victors, as long as they're from the same District. The story starts with the main character, Cain, being twelve years old. Cato doesn't appear in this chapter, but I promise he'll come in soon!**

**So, without further ado, chapter one:**

I stare down at the envelope that rests before me on my family's kitchen table. It finally came in the mail, we've, as in my parents and I, have been waiting for its arrival for the past few months. Ever since my twelfth birthday to be exact. I reread the front for about the hundredth time.

_Cain Halve _

_23 Fisher Ave_

_District Two, Panem_

Yeah, that's my name on the front. And the return address is the same one that was on the letter my brother received just three years ago:

_Mayor Gilford_

_District Two Headquarters_

_The Capital, Panem_

I've always wondered why the District headquarters are in the Capital. It would make more sense to have them in the actual District's themselves, but whatever. I jump a little when I feel my father's heavy hands on my shoulders. I look back and smile at him, which he graciously returns. I love my father; he's one of the nicest men in all of District Two. I look more like him as well. We share the same build, broad shouldered and of medium height. I have the same brown eyes as my father. I have the raven black hair that belongs to my mother though.

"That's your letter." He tells me. Of course it is I already knew that, I just nod. "Go ahead, open it up." I quickly snatch up the envelope and open in carefully, I'd have opened it sooner, but it's tradition to do it when your parents, or at least one, is present. My mother is working her shift at the factory and won't be home till late tonight.

I feel the smile and nerves course through my body as I run the snow white parchment through my hands. Slowly I open up the folded pieces of paper. Carefully I begin to read the letter I've been waiting all my life for.

_Dear Cain Halve; we are pleased to inform you that you have become of the coming age to be inducted into The Academy. As you know, this is a great honor that every citizen of District Two gets to participate in. We advise you to read the whole of this document so that you will be acquainted with the rules of The Academy and the schedule for your arrival day. _

_Here at The Academy you will be assigned accommodations that will be your home for the next six years of your life. You will be assigned a partner. Your partner will be of the opposite gender and will be your roommate, your training partner, and your ally over the next few years. If you wish to, at the beginning of each year you may file for a new partner, note that only few requests will be approved. The rules here are simple to follow:_

_Obey peacekeepers and training instructors at all times; no exceptions_

_Over the course of the year students will be allowed only one weekend out of the whole year to visit families_

_No fighting with other students outside of training_

_Always be on time for classes_

_Please note that failure to not coincide with these rules will result in punishment that the board deems appropriate for the student's actions. Students will be granted a total of five sick days to be used appropriately each year. During their time here, there will be holiday breaks. Breaks are to be spent on campus and no student is allowed to go home unless they are using their designated time given to them as a weekend to visit. Breaks occur for Christmas/New Years and Reaping week. _

_For girls, they are expected to take the pills that will be given to them at the beginning of each month to take every morning. These pills are to ensure that students get the nutrients needed to grow strong and healthy. They also get rid of anything that would get in the way for the girls to train and strive for top performance. _

_By signing this document, students realize the threat of training. They recognize the dangers of learning to yield weapons. No foolishness will be tolerated during training as a safety precaution for other students._

_On the day of your arrival you will be expected to have this document alongside you; it should be filled out and signed and ready to hand in. After this sheet is handed in new students get one hour to say their goodbye's to family members. From there the new students will all be gathered and sorted into one group of boys and one group of girls. The Head of The Academy will then proceed to pair partners together. This process is done through a ceremony closely resembling that of the Reapings. We will go down the list of girl's names and then pick out a boy's name, they will then be partnered. _

_Students are required to remember the name of their partner and not try and change partners on their own, rooms will be checked for the right students to be settled in together later in the evening. _

_After the sorting, students who have siblings already living at The Academy will be reunited and given three hours together. By the end of that time span the new students are expected to be shown to their rooms. _

_Training for the year will begin the next day for all students. _

_By signing the line below you are certifying that you have read/agree to everything on this document, you promise to obey all the rules and to train hard and bring pride to your District. _

_X__

I take a deep breath and look back to my father for a pen. He engulfs me in a hug first though. Once I sign this, I have agreed that I will only see him for two days a year for the next six years of my life. After those six years I will either come back to my family, or my partner and I will volunteer to be tributes in the Hunger Games. Like with my brother, who I barely see except for the weekend he visits. He's going into his fourth year at The Academy and loves it there. I pull away from my father and he brushes the hair out of my face.

I know I have to sign this document, I know that I really don't have a choice. I know that this will also give me choices in life. I will be better prepared to work as a stone mason, I will be trained to perform the duties of a peacekeeper if I wish or, if my partner and I want to, we can go in and vie for the crown as victors of the Hunger Games.

I also know what else I'm agreeing too. Most, if not all, residents of District Two end up marrying someone they meet at The Academy. That's how it was for my parents; they were partners during their last year. I'll meet my future husband there. I'll make friends there too.

But I'll get to see my brother again, as much as I want too. So, I'll have some family there, which is at least for my first two years there.

I look up one last time at my house. It's a great home, even if we're on the poorer side of District Two, we still have luxury items. Everyone does, we are a Career District, we are favored by the Capital. I look around the kitchen where I stand, the granite countertops, the white tiled floor. The mahogany table and chairs that I use now. The steel appliances. But my room that I will get at The Academy, this will be nothing compared to that. There, it's like you're living in the Capital itself. They want strong tributes for the Games, so there, between all the training and exercises, you're pampered. I take a breath and take the pen in my father's hand.

I glance over the paper once more, my eyes stopping on the seal of District Two and the seal of the Capital in the bottom corners of the page. Then I go and sign my name on the line, thus sealing the fate of the next six years of my life. The next six years that begins in five days.

Cain Halve

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I know it's shorter than I would've liked, but oh well. The chapters will get longer! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm having a bit of a block on what to do next in A Capital's Game, so I decided to do the next chapter for this story! I was so excited at all the reviews I got for just the first chapter! Thank you so much! And actually, I haven't even read any Harry Potter books at all, but I've seen all the movies and since I think about it I guess it's a bit like Hogwarts, but a lot stricter and stuff like that. So, enjoy the chapter! **

_Oh man, we were living, didn't waste one minute, we talked and drank and danced and said goodbye, we laughed until we cried ~Laughed Until We Cried, Jason Aldean_

That night when my mother got home we exchanged hugs and kisses as she congratulated me. She even fixed me my favorite meal, roast chicken with white rice, for dinner. But now I stand alone in my room, how many nights left do I have in here? I can count them on my fingers. Subconsciously I start to crack my knuckles, neck, and back. I always do, my joints feel stiff if I don't crack them often, it freaks my mom out, but it doesn't hurt. I cross my room; my bare feet sinking into the carpet and pick up a picture on my nightstand. It's a picture of me and my brother together, from the last time he visited. It's quite obvious that we're siblings, since we look almost exactly alike, but he's me in male form.

I'd call him now if I could, but that's against the rules too. No contact from family, only during that once a year weekend visit. I smile when I see his handwriting on the corner of the picture.

_See you soon Cain! Can't wait for ya to meet all my pals! –Brian _

His pals. Who will my pals be? More importantly; who will my partner be? It's been awkward at school for the last few months, since kids started getting accepted. All the boys and girls in my year look at each other, study each other, wondering who they're partners will be, who they're future spouses will be. I've kept with my group of friends the past few months. Or as my parents call them, my posse. I usually have a group of friends around me; I'm usually the leader of the group too. We used to have the groups merge together, boys and girls, but now we've separated.

The leaders have become more apparent, which is noted by our teachers and sent to the trainers. I, myself, have been noted by a few teachers as a leader among the girls. I've heard rumors on who the teachers have noted for the boys: Justin Fletcher, Mirav Gustan, Dustan Eirek, and more often than not, Cato Harrison.

I'm not really friends with any of them, I've seen them around. Justin is big for his age, strong already too. But that's expected since he's most likely already been training with his father, Brutus. Mirav is short, but he has a temper and lets kids know what's on his mind, he's one of the fastest in our school too. Dustan resembles my family almost, broad shoulders, black hair, but he's on the taller side. Cato, a tall, lanky boy, who must have the biggest temper I've ever seen. That's one of the first things kids learn at school, don't mess with Cato. He may not look it, but his bite is worse than his bark. Well, at least when you get him pissed it is.

The other thing you learn is to not piss me off either. I've heard people say I'm just as bad as Cato.

I set the picture of my brother and I down in its rightful place and snake into bed, pulling the thin shirts up to my chin.

;;;::::;;;;

I wake up early and get ready for school. I change into an old pair of jeans and a simple gray t-shirt. My mom makes me breakfast, since my father is already at work in the stone quarry by the time I wake up. I walk to school by myself, I don't live near any of my friends at school, they all live in the higher class of town.

I stuff my hands into my hands into my jean pockets, I don't know what else to do with them. I look straight ahead as I make my way through the center of town and past the square. The people of District Two like to talk too much, if I make eye contact with a shopkeeper most likely they'll stop me so we can chat and then I'll be late, again. After a few feet I sense other people next to me, I look up and slightly back and see two of my friends practically flanking me. Rose and Irma.

"Hey guys" I smile at them both, they return it.

"Hey Cain, how's it going?" Rose asks as she raises an eyebrow, clearly suspicious of my good mood, it's way too early for me to be in a good mood unless something's happened. I dig into my pocket that holds a paper that came with my acceptance letter; I need to get it signed by the principle, which shouldn't be a problem. I bring it out and hold it out for them to see, the grin widening on my face. My friends get grins on their faces as well.

"It's about time" Irma scoffs, Rose and I both laugh. Rose picks up her pace so she can elbow me in the ribs as we enter the schoolyard.

"Whatcha hoping they put as your recommendation?" Recommendations. If he wants to the principle can write down to recommend me as a leader role, the trainings harder, but it's worth it. Either that or they write regular.

"Obviously leader" I make sure to say it a bit loud, which catches the attention of others and soon I have large group of about twelve kids around me. I show off my letter for a while, and then excuse myself to go see the principle before homeroom. No one objects.

I listen to my footsteps echo through the empty hallways, everyone's outside for now. As I come closer to the principal's office I peak through the glass. Cato Harrison stands in front of the principle, I notice the huge cocky grin plastered on his face as the principle writes on his paper. Most likely, writing down leader, as a recommendation.

Cato's coming out just as I'm going in. The doorway is plenty wide enough for us both to pass without conflict, so when Cato's shoulder slams into mine, I immediately know it was on purpose. "You ass!" I growl as I turn and shove him, he's not prepared, not used to kids reacting to him, and he stumbles into the wall. I don't even flinch as he turns around, his jaw set tight as he glares at me.

"What did you say?" he seethes through his teeth.

"I called you an ass, or is your hearing off?" He tries to hit me with a left hook, but I'm expecting it and easily dodge it. "Apparently hearing isn't the only thing that's off." I chuckle at him. With that I proceed to go and let my fist fly towards his face. I growl when he catches it in his own.

"Silly girl" now it's his turn to chuckle as he abruptly twists my whole arm, making my body turn so my back is to him. Lucky for me, this isn't my first scuffle so I know exactly how to get myself outta this.

I look out of the corner of my eye and see the principle standing in the doorframe to his office, watching us. His head nods in approval, he won't stop us. Fighting isn't against the rules. You get in a fight then you defend yourself, its good practice. If you get hurt, then that's your fault. Besides, they aren't that bad, we're only twelve years old.

I kick my leg backwards and swing it so my cannon bone rests on inside of Cato's elbow. _One, two. _I gather my strength slowly and recall the lessons Brian did with me to get out of this very situation. _Three._ I jump on my stable leg and then transfer all my weight to my leg. Cato's arm naturally gives to the weight and we both crash to the floor. His arm cushions the impact for my leg, but I crash into the floor with my side. I quickly get up since Cato lost his grip and dance out of the way before he can grab me again. I stand by the principle and hold my hand out as Cato gets up. It's clear I won; it would be bad sport if he went after me after I offer truce. He slowly gets to his feet and eyes my hand for a second. When he grasps it I hold it fast. "Don't walk into me again" I let one side of my mouth flick up in a half grin. He leans in close until his face is inches from mine.

"As long as you don't call me an ass." This causes me to laugh in his face.

"I don't make promises I can't keep." And with that I give his hand a stiff shake and let go. He trudges off, only looking back to glare at me. I wave lightly to him.

"I'd gladly sign your paper now Miss. Halve" I hear the scruff voice of the principle. I look and give him a smile and hand my paper to him. I follow him into his office as he takes out his pen and signs my paper. When he hands it back to me I let a smile overtake my face and pride swell in my chest.

Next to recommendation, is leader.

**Hope you liked the little thing with Cato in it. He's not all strong and buff yet, since he's young and they haven't gone through training yet, but he will! Next chapter they go to the Academy! Please review! I love reviews they make me very happy! **

**Mocking Verse.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone, I'm happy to finally get chapter three up for this story! Thanks for all the reviews too! Love'em! And did you know that 62% of statistics are made up on the spot? Just a life lesson ;)**

_I've keeping all the letters that I wrote to you, each one a line or two. I'm fine baby how are you? ~Home, Blake Shelton_

I walk forwards, standing tall and my father's hand resting on the small of my back gently, I go and hand my filled out papers to the attendant at the desk in front of me. Today I start the next six years of my life. Today I say goodbye to my parents. Today I get to see my brother more often again. Today I get my partner assigned. The attendant takes my papers and then puts her gloved hand out for mine and grabs my wrist. She quickly pricks my finger to draw a little bit of blood and presses my finger to a paper. She quickly scans a barcode next to where my finger was pressed. I look up briefly to the giant screen that has been set up in front of the Academy gates.

_Cain Halve, Leader, Check_

It runs quickly across the screen before it's replaced with the next name, one I don't particularly like.

_Cato Harrison, Leader, Check_

I look down the row and see Cato with his parents; he senses me and looks back over. Our gazes meet and I scowl at him. I turn back to my parents as they lead me to a bench under a tree in the courtyard. I have an hour left with them, and then I walk through the gates and don't see them for a year.

I take a seat on the bench between my mother and father. I lean into my father and rest my head on his shoulder as he wraps his arm around my shoulders. I've always been closer to my father instead of my mother, we have a stronger bond. I guess that's because I'm not the girly girl my mother wants me to be.

"I'll miss you, both of you" I whisper softly for them to just hear me. I feel my father kiss the top of my head.

"We'll miss you too." My father tells me. I feel my mother put her hand on my arm and turn my head to look into her dark brown eyes, the exact opposite of my emerald ones.

"Remember, Brian's here too. You can always go see him." I nod in response, I know I'll have Brian again.

"I know mom" I put my hand over hers and she smiles.

"Just remember Cain-" my father starts but I cut him off with the answer, the thing that's already been engraved into my mind, that will be driven in harder here.

"Honor to my District, pride to my family." He takes my free hand and squeezes it.

"Exactly" I shift myself so I'm no longer leaning on my father.

"Remember, whoever your partner is, you trust him. You have too in order to get through this. You need to be friends." My mother starts the lecture I've been given a million times again.

"I know mom"

"And be careful if you go to parties."

"I know"

"And don't smoke anything, I don't want you too."

"Mom, I know all of this." I complain, she chuckles.

"And never be late to a class, physical punishment isn't against the rules here."

"Mom, I know all of this, physical punishment was used at school too." I should know this myself; my backtalk had gotten me slapped a few times. But I did what I had too when that happened, what we have to do. I stood there and took it, I didn't even blink, didn't even wince when the teachers hand made contact with my face.

"Okay and, just one last thing."

"Okay" I sigh in defeat.

"Don't; don't do anything you'll regret later." That's a new one, I cock my head confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, think before you act. Outside of classes. Watch out for boys, they can get demanding."

I just nod, because the bell goes off signaling it's time for the students to go and be given their partners. I stand simultaneously with my parents. I face my mother first. I go and wrap my arms around her as she does the same for me.

"I love you Cain" she whispers as she strokes my raven black hair.

"Love you too Mom" I tell her as I pull away. She smiles as I turn to my father. I go right into his arms when he opens them and burry my head in his chest.

"Show'em what you can do Cain." He chokes out.

"I will" His arms tighten around me one last time before he lets me go.

"Off you go now." He tells me. I give my parents a sad smile before I nod and turn my backs on them. Then I go and walk through the gates, I walk, head high, to my future.

;;;;:::::;;;;

"Irma Hally!" The Head announces in a loud voice. I watch as Irma walks towards the stage and slowly climbs the steps to receive her partner. The Head, who is a huge man, he must be at least 6'8'' and all muscle, nods to his assistant. The man reaches into a ball with the boy's names. He goes to his microphone after he opens the slip of paper.

"Nathan Quirt!" he calls out. I watch as Irma begins to scan the crowd for her partner. I get a good look at Nathan as he mounts the stage and shakes Irma's hand. He's a bit taller than Irma, brown hair. I've seen him a school a few times, he's a nice kid. I'm happy for Irma. Then Irma and Nathan go off together to go to the back, too, if they have any, find their siblings, or find their room. I take a deep breath because I know what's next.

"Cain Halve!" The Head calls my name out. I go and step forward, the girls in front of me make a path for me to the stage. I mount the steps and stand next to the Head, my eyes training on the boys who are still waiting to be paired. All of their eyes are on me.

The assistant goes over to the boy's ball again and sticks his hand in. He digs around for a little before he draws out a slip. I feel myself bite my bottom lip in anticipation. The man opens the slip and smooth's it out before taking a deep breath and announcing the name.

"Cato Harrison!"

_You have got to be fucking kidding me. _That's my first thought as I clench my jaw. I can't help it as my hands clench into fists as I watch Cato come out from the crowd. An arrogant grin on his face. He mounts the stage and smiles at me. He puts out his hand and I reluctantly take it in mine. As we shake hands only a few thoughts come to my head.

_Cato is my partner. I'm supposed to trust him. I'm supposed to put my life in his hands. His life is supposed to be in my hands. I'm his partner for everything. He's in all of my classes. We might go to the Hunger Games together. I'll see him every single day for the next six years. _

But one thought in particular scares me the most. Makes me hate my thoughts. Makes me hate the facts. Makes me hate that guy for pulling out Cato's name.

_I might fall in love with Cato Harrison._

**Did you like it? I know it's short, but I want this and her seeing her brother and all that jazz in different chapters. And I just really wanted to get something up tonight. So, yeah. Please feel free to make suggestions for the story and I'll PM you about them . Please please please press the little button under this and make my day that much brighter! I love waking up in the morning, checking my iPod and seeing you have review alerts for your story. It makes my day start off great! **

**Mocking Verse**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Easter everyone! My Easter was great, hope yours was too! I got to make fun of my dad with his younger brother (which was hilarious) and we even got a message from my cousin who is serving over in Iraq! Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter and also to Laurafxox, I'm not really sure yet. I might split it into two, or just make this a super long story ending where I want it to end and this is hard to answer cause I don't want to give anything away XD. So basically all I can say is that this might be two books or just one really long one. Can't really answer the other questions now, you'll have to find out later! Enjoy!**

_Who are you to judge, when you're a diamond in the rough. ~Who Says, Selena Gomez (lol don't ask)_

"Aren't you so glad we're together?" Cato asks me as he nudges me. I turn and glare at him. "Feisty, I like it" He grins at me.

"Shut up" I growl at his all too hopeful face.

"CAIN!" I hear his voice and then his heavy footsteps as he rushes down the hall. I turn the corner and see him sprinting towards us.

"Brian!" I squeal as I take off towards him, he outstretches his arms and I jump into him. He pulls me into a giant bear hug. He lifts me off my feet and spins in a circle. After a lot of laughter Brian finally puts me down. He puts his hands on my shoulders and stoops down to my height.

"So, who's the lucky guy who got you as a partner?" I scoff and roll my eyes; he raises an eyebrow at me. I look back over my shoulder to see Cato casually leaning against the wall watching us; he raises his eyebrows at me.

"That's him" I say harshly when I turn my head back to my brother. Brian stands up and walks over to Cato, he holds his hand out.

"I'm Brian Halve, Cain's brother, year four." Cato reaches out and shakes Brian's hand.

"I'm Cato Harrison, pleased to meet you."

"You better be" Cato raises his eyebrows but doesn't question Brian. "You go on and find your room if you don't have siblings, I'll drop Cain off there later." Cato nods and turns to leave, after he gives me a stiff wave.

Brian comes back over and wraps his arm around my shoulder and starts leading me down the hallway. "You ever meet him before this?" he asks.

"Ya, we got in a fight earlier this week." Brain raises his eyebrows.

"You win?"

"Course I did"

"You better learn to like him, especially before you two go in the Simulator"

"What's that?" I question, I've never heard of that before.

"It's kinda like a mini Games. The school has six smaller arenas, for a week during the year you and Cato along with some other kids your age get put in there. You have to survive. You get some weapons, knives, spears. But you don't kill each other, just survive the elements, they take you out either when you severely hurt yourself or when the week is over." He laughs at my confused expression. "It's fun really, if you get along with your partner. You're not allowed to talk about it out of school, that's why you've never heard."

"Oh, did you ever get hurt?"

Brian chuckles before he rolls up the sleeve of his long sleeved shirt, he reveals a long, jagged scar that runs down the length of his forearm. I gasp. "They put mutts in there too. Hurts like hell if you get caught by one, they don't kill you though."

We stop outside a door and Brian takes out a key and unlocks the door. He explains that it's his room, along with his partner, Grace. As soon as we step through the door I'm engulfed in a giant hug.

"Oh you must be Cain!" I hear a voice come from above me.

"Yeah" I gasp for air. "I….can't….breath" I choke out, I'm immediately put down.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" A red-headed girl who is the same height as my brother tells me in a pleading tone. I laugh at her concerned face.

"It's okay, and yeah, I'm Cain." I put my hand out but I'm brought into another hug. I hear my brother laugh.

"Grace is more of a hugger, though I never get any." Brian whines. Grace gets off of me and glares at my brother. Then she goes and kisses him quickly.

"I hug you plenty."

Over the next hour I just spend time with Brian and Grace. Grace says I will eventually warm up to Cato, no matter what I think. I think she's crazy, but I don't say that aloud. After Brian drops me off at my room. He leaves me with a hug and tells me not to kill Cato. I open the door and gasp. It's beautiful.

There's a foyer room first, that has some coat racks and a place for shoes, I see Cato's shoes there now, so I put mine next to his. I slide my feet along the hardwood floor, I've only seen wood floors a few times. We usually have stone floors, District Two, stone masons. I exit the first room into a large sitting room. There's two plush couches that face a large flat screen television. I look to my left and see the kitchen, tile floors, unlike the carpeted sitting room. There's the basics; a fridge, stove, microwave, and oven. There's one small table. With only two chairs, great. I go back and cross the sitting room and walk towards another door, I open it to find a large bathroom. Then I move past there and down a narrow hallway. I knock on the door, I know it's the bedroom, and I know Cato is in there, since I haven't seen him yet. Personally I don't want to walk in on him changing or anything.

"Come on in partner!" hear him call. I scowl before pushing the door open. There are two comfortable beds at the end of the room. One on the left and one on the right. Cato lies outstretched on the one of the right. "This one's mine, by the way"

"Whatever" I go and look at mine. There's also a dresser by my bed, when I open it I see girl's clothes. There's a light above the headboard on the ceiling. I look on the side of my bed that faces Cato's. I see latches on the side; at first I'm confused until I look to Cato's bed. Latches. The beds hook together to make one, of course, in case we want to. Ya know, sleep together. How thoughtful of them.

"So, what's for dinner?" Cato asks me, I look over at him and raise my eyebrows.

"You're asking me…why?"

"You're the girl here, you cook." He shrugs as he stares up at the ceiling.

"Sorry, I don't cook for you, just myself." With that I leave the room and go to the sitting room.

I'm only there for a minute before there's knocking at the door. "Halve, Harrison, open up!" I hear a gruff voice of a peacekeeper call. I quickly scamper to my feet and hurry to answer the door. The man eyes me carefully. "Where's Harrison?"

"In the bedroom."

"Harrison!" the man calls, his voice echoes through the house. I hear a thump as Cato jumps off his bed then runs out.

"I'm here." He says in a huff. The man nods.

"Harrison and Halve, check" With that he turns to leave. As soon as the door closes my stomach rumbles.

"Hungry?" Cato states matter-o-factly.

"Yeah, common, you're helping if you want food. I don't know how to cook." He shrugs and follows me into the fully stocked kitchen.

We're supposed to learn how to cook ourselves, that's why we don't get the fancy Capital food machines. I find a book and open up to a random page and flip through until I find something easy. "What about noodles?" I call out to Cato; he's kneeling on the counter to look into the top cabinets.

"If it's edible, I'll eat it."

Over the next hour I instruct Cato in filling up a pot of water, which is a task in itself. At first there's too little water, then he almost overflows it. Finally once we get that on the stove we have to figure out how to work it. It takes us twenty minutes just to get the water to boil. After it is boiling we realize we forgot to find the actual noodles. So while we look for that the pot overflows, and gets the counter flooded. After Cato cleans that up I have found the noodles, which I just dump the whole package in. Then we sit back and wait. In the end we both just end up eating a very large bowl of overcooked noodles. But it's food, so it's not too bad.

"We need to work on cooking" Cato announces with a mouth full of food, I wince.

"Ew, that's gross. Don't talk with your mouth full"

"Okay" he says with food still in his mouth. I gag and he makes a point of chewing loudly and smacking his lips together while he eats. "This is going to be a long six years" I moan into the table after banging my forehead on the wood.

"Hey, careful, that's mahogany." Cato scolds me. I roll my eyes and look up at him.

"Do I _look _like I care?"

"Actually-"

"Don't answer that, it was rhetorical." I cut him off.

;;;:::;;;;

Later that night I crawl into bed, I glance over at Cato's form. He went to bed an hour before I did, so he should be asleep by now. I let my thoughts drift off to home; mom and dad wouldn't be asleep by now, most likely still watching television.

_Thump_

I sit up and look around but see nothing. I get up and go out of the room, I open the front door to the hallway, but no one's there. I sigh and go back to bed. Once again my thoughts drift off again, I didn't see Rose today; I hope she's okay.

_Thump_

I look around again and choose to ignore it, I must be hearing things.

_Thump_

"What the hell?" I hiss as I look around again, there's nothing in the room. My eyes shift to Cato, he hasn't moved. I move my eyes back to the ceiling.

_Thump, thump_

Aggravated I throw the covers off of me and trudge over to the front door again, no one's there. I groan and then return to bed. It happens right away this time.

_Thump, thump, thump_

It must be the kids next door. I roll on my stomach and then cover my head with my pillow.

_THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP_

It gets even louder. I roll on my side to face Cato with the pillow covering most of my face. That's when I see his leg move and strike the bed post. Again, and again, and again.

_Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. _

"You immature bastard!" I screech before I jump out of bed and begin to belt him over and over again with my pillow.

_Thump _

"UGHH I HATE YOU!" I spit out at him harshly before smacking him even harder. Soon he bursts out laughing. I scowl at him the go over and flop down on my bed.

"You should've seen how pissed you were!" he tells me as he laughs.

"You should see your face next time you do that" I retort. He shuts up after that.

Eventually I'm able to drift off to sleep.

;;;:::;;;

I wake up on my own later in bed. I open my eyes to see Cato still in bed, I groan then roll over to face my nightstand. I shoot upright when I see the clock. 7:55, we have five minutes to get to class, which we don't even know how to get there.

"CATO GET UP!" I command as I go over and roll him off of his bed onto the floor. He lets out a yelp as he falls to the floor.

"What the hell?"

"Cato we have five minutes to get to class!" I yell as I grab a clean outfit and rush into the bathroom. One of the few rules runs over and over again in my head.

_Always be on time. _

Well, we won't be on time. Great, we get to be the first pair punished in our class. Brian will be thrilled to hear about that.

**I hope you liked it! I'm pleased with how it came out! I really wanted to get it up now because I got a track meet tomorrow, but I'll probably get one up on Wednesday! I have a half day at school! Ya for teacher workshops! Anyways, please review! I love and read every single one of them and I love them all! **

**Mocking Verse**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hurray for new chapters! Don't you love them! And I've decided to try and reply to reviews on here when I can sooooo ya! Only for ones who reviewed the last chapter though, so maybe that will encourage you to review!**

**Laurafxox: **_aww thanks, ya I thought that it would be too easy for them just to push a button and have food come up. _**Lou the Third: **_oh why thankies! Lol and I keep typing brain whenever I type Brian too, so don't be surprised if that comes up somewhere XD _**DawnOfTheNight: **_I can't wait to write that too!_** Meganlucindaxo: **_thanks! Everyone just has to wait and see what happens! _**Rue-Evergreen:**_ hahah thanks you! I hope you enjoy how their humiliated in this chapter!_

_When a goodbye kiss, feels like this. Don't you wanna stay here a little while? Don't you wanna hold each other tight? ~Don't You Wanna Stay Here A Little While, Jason Aldean_

Cato and I both come to a halt when the hallway goes to separate directions.

"It's this way!" Cato tells me as he takes my arm. I yank free of his grasp.

"No, it's not, the gym is this way!" I retort, pointing the other direction.

"No, it's clearly this way!" he states.

"What the hell do you mean clearly? There's no signs or anything smartass!"

"Fine, we'll go that way." He growls at me. I smirk at him before turning and we continue sprinting down the hallway. We skid around the corners, to my pleasure; I'm actually a bit faster than Cato. Soon we come to another intersection; left, right, or strait. "Damn" Cato mumbles under his breath.

"Here, ugh, you go right, I'll go strait." He gives me a questioning look.

"And if it's not there turn around and meet back here?"

"Exactly" With that we take off in two different directions. It's not long before I come face to face with the big doors labeled 'Gymnasium'. I push the doors open to see a group of about eighteen kids all gathered around a man, the teacher.

"Well it's about time Halve, where's your partner?" The man snaps out at me right away. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides.

"Umm, he's, he's in the hallway sir." I stutter out.

"Why?"

"We split up to find the gym."

"Rule number one: Always stick with your partner." He addresses the whole class, as I look around, I see Irma standing side by side with Nathan. She gives me a shy smile. "Go get him Halve!" The teacher shouts at me, I don't need to be told twice. I spin on my heel and push through he doors again. I run down the hallway.

"Cato!" I call down, seconds later I see him poke his head out from around the corner. "I found it!" I say as I stop and wait for him to jog up to me.

"Good, how's the teacher?" he asks me.

"He's a bitch" I sneer and Cato laughs. We push back into the gym and join the circle of other kids. The teacher, whose name is Remous, is explaining what will be doing.

"So, basically your first year here, you bond with your partner, learn a few fighting skills." Oh great, I just can't wait to 'bond' with Cato. "So, I will use Cain and Cato to demonstrate today's exercise since they were late." My head snaps up at his, what? "Come up here you two." He nods towards Cato and I, we are standing on opposite sides of the circle. We both go up to him and stand on either side of him. Remous inclines his head towards a corner of the large gym, there's a group of older kids practicing with weapons, but by them there is an obstacle course. Platforms of various heights and log like obstacles are all lined up in a complex pattern. It looks hard, very hard as it is. The first obstacle is a six foot high wall, with little footholds. Then the platforms vary greatly in height. For instance, one platform is only about two feet off the ground, the next is about five. "You will be going through that." He explains, I tune him out for a bit as I examine the course. A few minutes later I hear say, "Off you go, you two try and do it, I'll coach you first, then everyone else will go through, one pair at a time." I nod and go to take a step, just to find something locked around my left ankle and I fall on my face. Everyone starts laughing as I sit up from the ground. I look at my ankle, just to find that I'm literally shackled, one band locked around my left ankle and the other one, joy oh joy, is on Cato's right.

"What! That's impossible; we can't go through that tied together!" I look at Remous in shock. He chuckles.

"If you work together you can. Now go over to the start." I go and lift myself off the ground. I look at Cato and he nods and we both start to take a step, I move my right foot and so does he. I groan.

"No! Move your left foot, then right."

"Well you didn't clarify that before!" He snaps at me.

"I just did!"

"Fine, ready?" he asks, pulling on my shackled ankle lightly as he moves his right foot forwards, I comply and move mine. Slowly we make our way over to the start.

"Good, now you too need to run, just run and jump onto the wall and lift yourself over." Yeah, easier said than done.

"Okay, when I say go, just run towards the wall, when I say so, jump." Cato instructs, I have no choice but to nod. "Go!" he says, our first two steps okay, then Cato over strides and pulls my leg out from under me, causing me to fall back on my back.

"Damn you!" I yell as he drags me. He stops and looks back. He groans as I get myself back up. That's how it goes for the next ten minutes, before finally we get it down and both jump at the same time and I get a grasp on the wall, Cato got smart the first time we did this and holds his legs up so he doesn't pull me down again, that had left me hanging upside-down before.

"Now what?" he asks. I smirk at him as I get an idea. I'm tired of it being me ending up on the floor, since he weighs more, but from here. From here I can get him back. I go and use my hands to push myself up, Cato copies my movements. Then I go and hurl myself over to flip over the top of the wall. Cato lets out a yelp as he's hurled with me; I land on my feet while he slams onto the concrete floor.

"That worked" I pipe and smile down at him, offering him my hand to get up. He glares at me and refuses my help.

"That was good, now continue on." Remous instructs us. The next three obstacles are easy compared to the wall. We go through them easily. That is, until we have to jump onto a rather narrow platform that has about an eight foot drop if you wall off the edge. Apparently Cato's confidence is a weakness because he doesn't wait for me to jump, I recover and we go off at the same time, but he jumped at an angle and his foot slips off the edge as he lands. I barely comprehend that he's falling off before the platform slams into my stomach and I latch on, leaving Cato dangling by his ankle and me feeling like he's going to pull my leg out of its socket.

"Cain, let go!" Cato calls, I move my head to see him suspended in the air, if he reached out his fingertips would barely touch the ground.

"No! Get back up here!"

"Oh great idea! Just how do I do that?" he calls up to me, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I don't know! But I'm not letting go and smacking my head open"

"How about you let go, and I'll turn and catch you."

"In hell you'll catch me!" I spit back. I'm barely aware of the laughter. I look over to see the group of older kids has stopped to watch us. Fantastic.

"You have to trust your partner." Remous calls out.

"I've only known him for a day! I don't trust him!" I retort back.

"That's the point of the exercise Halve!" he does have a point there.

"I'll kick your ass when I get better if you don't catch me!" I call down to Cato, he pauses for a minute.

"Okay, sure."

"Ready?" I ask him.

"I'm hanging upside-down while shackled to your ankle. I'm as ready as anyone could be in this situation." Cato responds in a smart ass tone. With that I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I release my grip on the platform and hold in a scream as I get the sensation of falling. Then I slam into Cato's body and all the air rush out of him. I more or less bounce off of him and hit the floor with a thud. Remous comes over and unlocks the shackles from our ankles.

"That was good, you two get a break" He tells us as I get up on my own. I swing my legs back and forth, getting used to having control of them myself again. I glance down at Cato; he's sitting upright now, getting his breath back.

"Thanks" I mutter quietly to him, he just nods before I go and walk back to the group.

;;;:::;;;

Four hours later I sit in the mesh hall for lunch, the whole academy eats together for lunch. I easily find my friends from school after getting a plate of food. We talk about our partners; Irma and Nathan get along great, Rose, and her partner Kyle, are okay together. They laugh when I say how I really just don't like Cato. I'm telling them about making dinner last night when the big television in the room turns on.

'Today's Featured Pair' flashes across the screen. I had heard about this, every day the council picks on pair to do a short segment thing on in lunch. It sounded interesting, but now I'm horrified when I see the names go on the screen. 'Cato Harrison and Cain Halve. Year one.'

Then I have to watch as they show a montage of what happened this morning, they even have us fighting over which way to go in the hallway. It shows me step and fall on my face before I knew we were shackled together. It shows me fall as Cato pulls my leg out from under me. It shows me flip over the wall and him crash to the ground. And all the other falls after that. And worst of all, they show the whole entire ordeal with the narrow platform. By the end of the five minutes, my head is buried in my hands and everyone is the room is dying of laughter.

I groan as Irma pats my back. "It wasn't that bad" she laughs, I shoot her a death glare and she shuts up.

"I hate him" I mutter into my hands. God, and it's only lunch.

**Did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**

**Mocking Verse**


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome to chapter six! This story is just moving right along! Well I do have good news! Next week I've got no school all week long! Then when I get back only four more weeks of school! And the last two are four day weeks and the last one is just half days! WAHOO FOR ALMOST SUMMER! **

**Here's special thanks to my reviewers!**

**Lou the Third, **_haha why thank you! I'm glad this turned out funny! _**Rue-Evergreen, **_whoops just almost typed your name wrong, sorry, and yes I love caps too they're fantastic! _**Starbucks Coffee Rules, **_one, love the name, two, I think my brother broke vacuum the room now smells like smoke, and three, thank you! _**DawnOfTheNight**_ aww thanks! That means so much to me! They might turn into something later on ;) _**meganlucindaxo **_why thank you! I don't know why, I just never really liked Clove, I won't even read fanfics about her, no offense to anyone else, but I just don't like her all that much. _**Laurafxox **_Thanks! I have a lot of ideas for this fic later on!_

**Oh, just a side note too, I will most likely be changing the rating for this fic later on to M, maybe in like…five-seven chapters…just because it's Cato, and well, Cato doesn't tend to be…how to put this….the world's best role model? Another note, I've been doing my 'research' (aka watching tones of Alexander Ludwig interviews) to figure out how quickly I can get Cato all jacked up and ripped in this story, lol, and the fact that staring at Alexander Ludwig and listening to him talk for a few hours does more good than bad, I've learned that it only took him like two months to get all buff and hot and, yeah, all fantastic looking. So, Cato soon in the fic will be all strong and lady-magnet like XD. So without further ado, please enjoy!**

"My name's Brutus, of course you know that already though, this is first year leader class. You've all earned a spot here; you need to show me why though. The rules here are simple, you respect me, I'll respect you. You show me why you're here, you stay here. You show that you can't take it, you're out with the rest of the kids in regular class. Got it?" Brutus, victor of the 37th Hunger Games, tells us after we've, meaning the kids who have been recommended as leader, all gathered together before him. It's a small class, but the kids in it; I'm not surprised they're here.

Cato and I, Dustan, Mirav, and Justin are there of course. Then there's Amy Whinhouse, Whitney Nicley, Becca Fitter, Jack Egraw, and Xadra Norm. (**A/N: Xadra is a girl) **Ten of us in total. I never really hung out with any of them at school, but I did notice we all led our own little groups. I also note that Cato and I are the only ones who are partners in this class. We all tell Brutus that we understand his rules and he continues.

"First order of business, just so we don't have further complications, sort out your rankings now. Boys and girls separate, whose leader of boys, whose leader of girls. Find out and then go second in command, third, fourth, and fifth. You have five minutes."

I turn to face the rest of the girls; it's Whitney who speaks up right away. "I'm leader" she says it with a smirk on her face and a final tone of voice; I raise an eyebrow at her.

"I think I'd be a bit more suited for that position than you are" I tell her as I step forwards. No one stops me either.

"And why do you think that?" she snaps at me. I simply draw back my fist quickly before punching her square in the jaw, she falls to the floor from the impact she wasn't expecting.

"That's why" I inform her as I stand over her on the floor, she's holding her jaw in her hands. I turn to the others who, two out of three of them, have their mouths hanging open. "Would anyone else like to object?" I ask in a faking nice voice. No one says anything. "Anybody?" I repeat. Becca shakes her head.

"No"

"Well, in that case, I'll set up the rest of the order. Me, Amy, Becca, Xadra, and, just because I don't really like you, Whitney, you're on the bottom." My tone is final and authoritative, thus, no one objects to this. We turn our attention back to Brutus, who nods in approval. I glance over at the boys, Cato stands in front of Justin, his fist raised ready to punch him, for what appears to be the second time, since he's doubled over holding his stomach. Brutus seems to care less that his son just got beat up.

"Would you like to say that again?" Cato snarls.

"You're an arrogant bastard" Justin seethes between his teeth, the girls around me wince as Cato's fist buries itself in Justin's stomach, again and again and again.

"That's enough!" Brutus commands, but Cato doesn't stop, he punches Justin in the face now, hard. A loud crack is heard and Brutus goes in and grabs Cato. "I said enough!" Brutus scolds again as Cato fights to get free of his grasp to continue on Justin, whose nose is gushing blood all over the floor.

"He called me a bastard, he's dead!" Cato seethes. Then he's the one who's flung onto the floor by Brutus. He then gets kicked in the stomach.

"Save it for training Harrison" Brutus snaps his fingers and two attendants come over and help Justin off the floor. "Take him to the hospital wing. Harrison is in charge for the boys, then Eirek, Gustan, Fletcher, and finally Egraw." Brutus sets the boy's order out himself.

Afterword's we are all taken into a room; filled with weight lifting equipment and other exercise machines. I notice the wide array of swords, knives, axes, bows; all types of weapons are laid out. Dummies are lined up on one side of the room as well. "You work out until you either drop dead or when the bell rings, I'll be monitoring you. You can lift weights, or go learn how to use a sword, or knives. Swing a mace, throw an axe, pick a skill and perfect it."

"Can we fight each other" I ask aloud

"Of course, just no killing." Brutus smirks at me. With that we are dismissed to go off and train. I make my way over to the knife table, gingerly picking up the weapons. I'm good with knives; I've been 'playing' with them as long as I can remember. I select one, with a sturdy hilt and a short lengthened blade. It's a very expensive weapon, nice and sharp. I run the flat of the blade across my hand a smirk coming to play on my lips.

"You any good with that thing?" I look back to see Mirav standing next to me. I turn and, with a powerful thrust of my wrist, send the blade flying through the air; it sticks into the dummy, only about three inches away from the heart.

"I'm not too bad" I shrug

"There is room for improvement" he agrees, I chuckle a little and put my hand out for him.

"I'm Cain" He grins and takes my hand and gives it a firm shake.

"Mirav, glad to officially meet you"

"Same to you"

"So, your partner is Cato?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Sadly" he chuckles at my response. We both look over at Cato, who is weightlifting. I check quickly and see it's only eighty pounds. Not that bad for a twelve year old.

"Well good luck, you'll need it"

;;;::::;;;;

Later that night I lay outstretched on the floor in front of the television as Cato flips through the channels. I'm sore all over from the day. All of leadership class was spent training to get my body into top physical condition. All six hours of the class. Cato and I already had dinner, chicken, which we were told to eat a lot of to get stronger faster. We have to watch what we eat, and eat a lot over the next few months until we bulk up.

Finally the constantly changing channels get on my nerves. "Damn Cato just pick one there's only ten channels!" I snap at him, looking back at him.

"You said you didn't care what I watched" he sneers.

"Ya, but just pick one already, it's annoying."

"If it's annoying then leave the room."

I groan as I push myself up off the floor. "Fine" I spit back at him.

"Fine" he snaps back as I make my way back to the kitchen. Of course right when I get there I hear Cato decide on a channel, he turns the volume up so it fills the whole house. I grab an apple and a knife and begin to cut it.

"Turn it down!" I call above the television to Cato, he turns it up more. "TURN IT DOWN!" I yell again, it goes up again. I scream in frustration and, before I can think, I've let the knife I was using hurl out of my hand and whiz past Cato's head and stick into the wall just an inch away from the television. Abruptly it turns off and then Cato storms into the room.

"What the hell was that? You could've hit the TV!" He rages.

"If I was aiming for the TV," I open the drawer and take out a steak knife, then let it fly through the air. A loud crash is heard as it collides with the TV, shattering the screen into pieces. "I would've hit it!" I yell at Cato, throwing my hands up in the air and plowing past him into our room. He, of course, follows me.

"What the fuck! You just, you, you little, UGH _you're _impossible!" He yells and punches the wall; he doesn't break it and ends up holding his hand while he swears under his breath.

"You're not the very best partner in the world yourself!"

"Well I didn't break the only means of entertainment in this place!"

"Have you ever heard of _friends_?" I ask as I whirl around to face him.

"They're all hanging out with they're partners! They get along with them just fine, but I'm stuck with you! Of all people! You!"

"Well sorry about that" my voice drips with sarcasm at him.

"You should be! I don't even like talking to you!"

"I don't like talking to you either!"

"Then don't talk to me!" He yells, I can see his knuckles bruising now.

"Fine!" I go and fling myself onto my bed.

"Fine!" He yells back at me, I groan and sit up and throw my pillow at his head. He catches it and throws it back at me.

After I hear him walk out of the room I jump up, close the door, and lock it from the inside. Good, now he has to sleep on the couch.

**Like it? I hope so! I'm hoping to have Cain and Mirav be friends, so yeah! Please review!**

**Mocking Verse**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, here's the next chapter! So, this chapter goes basically through the rest of the first week, so yeah**

**Laurafox: **_I like how she's authoritative too! But it'll take some time for Cato and Cain to get closer together. _**Meganlucindaxo: **_I can't wait to write her reaction when she realizes he's ripped! _**Nelle07: **_thanks for reviewing! And hopefully they don't kill each other when they're older XD. _**Starbucks Coffee Rules: **_Updated XD_

_I'm meeting my buddies out on the lake. ~Redneck Yacht Club, Craig Morgan_

My alarm goes off exactly five seconds before I hear my brother explode at me.

"CAIN WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" I hear Brian scream, I guess Cato let him in. I get out of bed and go unlock the bedroom door and poke my head out, just to see Brian and Grace staring at the shattered television on the floor, and the knife lodged into the wall. I notice Cato had made a bed for himself on the couch. Well, he's not hopeless. Brian turns his head to stare at me while I just smile.

"Good morning" I greet him.

"What. Happened." He demands. I shrug and point to Cato.

"Ask Mr. Douche bag over here." Cato glares at me.

"You little-" he's cut off when Brian shoves him.

"You're not helping this!" he turns his attention back to me. "And I know you broke it, you're the one who threw knives around the house for fun." I come out of the doorway and walk into the kitchen and pour a bowl of cereal for myself, I have half an hour to get ready for classes.

"I was just showing Cato how I can hit targets"

"Why?" Brian spits out at me.

"He wouldn't turn the volume down, so I threw a knife past his head." Grace gasps at me, I smile before continuing. "He said I almost hit the television, so then I showed him that if I wanted too I could hit it." Brian groans and looks between the two of us.

"Get ready for class. From now on Grace and I are coming over here every night to check on you two. Got it?"

"That's stupid!" Cato and I both say in unison, we glare at each other.

"See you agree on something, that's a step in the right direction." Brian smirks at us both. "Now get ready"

;;;:::::;;;

And that's just what he does, for the rest of the week. Every morning Cato and I get up, we find something to argue over; be it who fixes breakfast, what time we got up, or just that we have to lay eyes on each other. During 'bonding' class we only talk to each other if we have too. We learn absolutely nothing about each other. Because I don't want him to know about me and I don't want to know about him. We work together only as long as we have too, usually after much arguing. Remous takes a liking to us too. We are always the ones to do demonstrations. We are always picked on to answer questions. He says he's trying to force us to bond; that's not going to happen. At lunch we sit on completely opposite sides of the cafeteria. One day Cato bumps into me while going to his seat while I was standing up, I don't know if it was a mistake or not, but I shoved him just the same. Then his food went everywhere, then we got into a fight. I socked him once good in the mouth, but he got me back. Brian and his friend Boone had to tear us apart from each other, but we kept yelling profanities at each other. Cato had slept on the couch again that night.

Leadership class isn't too bad. Mirav and I usually work together for pairs, Cato works with Dustan, since it doesn't have to be boy girl. We use weights and everything still, and usually we're dead tired when we get back to the room. But that doesn't stop Cato and I from getting on each other's nerves. By the time Brian comes to check on us we're usually either yelling again or Cato's grimacing on the couch while I stay at the other end of the house.

Grace and I usually make dinner while Brian and Cato talk. According to Brian he's not that bad of a person, well good for him. I still hate him. After we eat dinner, which is just Brian and Grace trying to get Cato and I to have a civil conversation, they leave and I go off to bed. Sometimes locking the door, sometimes not. But I'm pretty sure that if Brian wasn't here Cato and I would've killed each other already.

;;;:::;;;;

On Saturday I don't wake up until one, since we don't have classes on the weekends. I yawn and stretch, rolling over in bed just to see Cato's sleeping form on his bed. I swing my legs over the bed and walk out to the kitchen. I quickly fix myself a sandwich and walk over and plop myself down on the couch, very happy to have some time to myself while Cato is still sleeping.

My mind wanders off to my plans for today, I told Rose I'd hang out with her and my other friends today. Mirav said he'd hang out with us too, which I don't mind at all. He's my friend now, I guess.

"Hey" I hear Cato's voice and turn around. I raise an eyebrow at him as he walks out of the bedroom.

"Hey?" I repeat are we actually going to have a normal conversation?

"How come you didn't wake me up?" he asks as he goes to the kitchen himself. This is really weird, he's not yelling.

"Because it's Saturday" I answer slowly.

"So?" he answers irritated. Okay, I thought having a normal conversation was out of reach for us, now he's kinda mad, good.

"So? We don't have classes"

"Really, you could've woken me up, and then you wouldn't be sitting around by yourself." He snaps at me.

"Well, sorry, I didn't know you cared" I snap back at him.

"I _don't _care!"

"Then why are you telling me I should've woken you up?" my voice rises

"Maybe I didn't want to wake up at," he glances at the clock, "One twenty in the afternoon."

"That's what an alarm is for"

We don't say anything after that. I just finish my sandwich, change my clothes, and go outside to find my friends. Once outside I easily find my group of friends and walk over to them, making my way next to Mirav. I sit beside him on a low wall and listen in on what everyone's talking about. Mirav pretends to stretch and casually puts his arm around my shoulders.

"Smooth" I grin while I look at him, he runs a hand through his brown shaggy hair.

"Thought so myself, Cato won't mind will he?" Mirav smirks at me, which I return.

"Who cares if he minds?"

"Good point" Mirav winks and pulls me closer into his side, which I allow.

We sit there for a couple of hours, just listening, when Rose elbows me in the side.

"What!" I hiss at her, she sulks back slightly, and then a grin comes across her face.

"Look at your partner" she whispers and nods in a direction. I follow her gaze and see Cato standing with his friends, his narrowed eyes locked on Mirav and I. Mirav looks over at him too, then pointedly grabs my hand with his own. Cato's nostrils flare out a little, I'm guessing he snorted or something, before he looks away. Mirav leans over and whispers in my ear.

"This could be fun to just piss him off."

"It could be" I agree as I pull back to look at him, he grins. "Very fun"

We both start laughing at this.

"What's so funny?" a girl named Lisa asks. She's not really my friend.

"None of your business" I snap at her, she rolls her eyes. "Oh, and don't do that either, I could have you sliced to shreds in seconds"

"Sure you could" I barely hear her, but I do, and since I'm not the best at managing anger, I bolt upright and then shove her to the ground. Her head colliding with the concrete walkway with a loud crack. Everyone stops and looks at me.

"Anyone else want to comment?" I ask, looking around, no one moves. I look back down at Lisa, apparently her head cracked open since it's now bleeding. Whoops. I hear shouts and then turn and see peacekeepers. Damn, I turn to Mirav and grab his hand, then do the only thing I can think of as a peacekeeper shouts my name.

I run.

**Kinda cliffy, ish, maybe so. But at least I updated . Just a heads up I might start skipping through some of the first year, more things will happen later on but I was thinking the other day and if I have three chapters for each year, that's eighteen chapters right there, not counting the other chapters where important stuff happens and such, so some of the years might just be like three chapters for themselves, and even with that this book is gunna be supa long. So, yeah. I would be grateful if you'd click that kinda shiny button below this and make me a happy person! **

**Mocking Verse**


	8. Chapter 8

**Woah! Six reviews for chapter seven! I is updated after a very long time..for me it was long. I thought to myself. **_**Self, what's more important right now. Homework, or Cato? **_**And of course I picked Cato, at least for the next however long I work on this. It was pretty funny the other day after my track practice. This senor wouldn't give my friend a ride to school from the track, it's like a ten minute walk but juniors and senors drive there. So anyways, he wouldn't let my friend get in the car, so when he starts to slowly drive away out of the parking lot my friend jumps on the hood of the car. The senor goes for a few seconds then slams the breaks and my friend fell off into the road. It was hilarious and he's perfectly fine. Just really funny. **

**Agethebest: **_Aww thanks _** Laurafxox: **_Yes, I agree, plus it will most likely be more than three sense every year there's the Simulator, so those will be like two chapters for each time they go in there. Thanks for the feedback! _**Meganlucindaxo: **_Yes, you may dare to say he's a bit…jealous XD. And…oops, can't tell you that yet :P _**Magsforever: **_Thanks, and I really hope I finish this story, I don't plan to stop it. _**Bbymojo: **_*gasp* super long review made me super happy! And yes, I may be using your suggestion, kindish, I planned out how they get more civil towards each other. They take a big step in this chapter though. But, one step forwards can mean two steps back (dun dun dunn foreshadowing) _**Rue-Evergreen: **_I still always type you're name wrong DX. And yus I love the review button too! And thanks!_

"Where are we going?" Mirav asks me as we sprint down the corridor. We had managed to make it inside the building, which now doesn't seem like the best idea.

"Not sure" I answer back as we skid around another turn. I look ahead. There's a door going to the outside, it's our only option, so we take it. I can still hear the sound of boots hitting the ground, peacekeepers are after us. I quickly let go of Mirav's hand. "Go, you didn't do anything wrong." I tell him, he doesn't question me as he goes off in a different direction.

I turn and take off through one of the courtyards, hurdling over a low fence into a garden as a shortcut. I can tell when the peacekeepers catch sight of me again by the choruses of "Get her!" and "Halve this is your last warning!" Yeah. Last warning my ass. Several other students have stopped to watch me run through them. Most likely just happy to have an interesting show. Most just get out of my way, not trying to catch me, this is amusing to them. I glance around until I see a ladder, nope, can't use that. It won't get me anywhere. So I keep on running. I take some shortcuts through alleyways between buildings that offer some cover.

But they keep following me, hunting me down. I run through another courtyard and curse inwardly as I see a three foot high metal, spiked fence in my path. I pick up speed and count my steps before I launch myself off the ground and try to hurdle the fence. I almost make it over. _Almost. _

I let a few profanities slip out of my mouth as my back foot catches and I go tumbling to the cement ground. I feel a crack in my ankle as it twists around one of the spikes on the fence. When I hit the ground I roll and continue running, ignoring the searing pain that is currently muted by the adrenaline rushing through me.

I'm almost there, almost to the door so I could make it inside. And then it hits me. Literally.

I let out a scream as I'm tackled to the ground by a peacekeeper, who then seems pretty intent on beating the living daylights outta me as his fist collides with my face, my stomach, my ribs. He also presses his weight done on me and the pain from my assumingly broken ankle makes my vision blurry. And then I hear his voice.

"What the hell are you doing? Stop it!" I've never been so happy to hear Cato Harrison's voice. The peacekeeper pauses and looks back, his fist still raised to hit me again. I see Cato standing over me behind the peacekeeper. Cato reaches over and grabs the peacekeepers fist and pulls him back.

"Bring her to medical" I recognize Brutus's voice. I see a pair of hands reach down to pick me up but they're pushed away.

"Don't you even _touch _her!" Cato seethes. I've never heard him _that _mad before, it's kinda frightening. But, it is kinda attractive too. Woah, did I just. No, nope, can't think of him that way. Not going to happen. I hate him, hate him. I tell myself this. I feel someone touch my ankle and I intake my breath sharply.

"Cato" I breathe out, I really want him to let them take me to medical.

"I got you" I hear him say, barely above a whisper before I feel two, surprisingly strong, arms go under me and pick me up. He lets me lean into him as he starts walking, I look around and see the crowd watching us. As the adrenaline drains from me the pain overtakes my ankle. My breathing becomes sharp and quick. I put my head on Cato's shoulder as he continues walking and wrench my eyes shut. "You're stupid you know that?" He whispers harshly, I can feel him watching me. I let a smirk come across my face.

"So I've been told" he rolls his eyes at me.

"It may have been easier if you had just fessed up"

"But that's no fun, I don't like to do things the easy way." Cato scoffs.

"I think that's why we're paired together" I raise an eyebrow, "Some say they rig the drawings, keep some slips up their sleeves so two are intentionally put together. Rumor going 'round that that happened with us." He explains, that does make sense, I guess.

"So they wanted to make our lives hell?" I ask, Cato actually chuckles a little, I've never seen this side of him.

"Guess so"

I like this side of him. I open my eyes are see him looking down at me, he averts his gaze forwards as Brutus opens a door for us, I'm carried in and Cato sets me on an examination table, he doesn't leave though. A doctor comes forwards and greets us.

"My ankle's broken" I state before he has time to ask

"You're sure?" he asks

"No, because everyone's ankle just feels disjointed from their leg when it's perfectly fine." I retort, sarcasm dripping from every word as I narrow my eyes at him. I notice a smirk go on Cato's face. The doctor rolls his eyes and goes and touches my ankle, I hiss in pain at him.

"It's broken" he states.

"No kidding dumbass, that's what she just told you. I see ears on your head, use 'um." Cato snaps. His comment is ignored though.

"She'll need surgery now so she's ready for classes on Monday, we start in ten minutes." He tells us, I feel my eyes widen. He goes over and opens a drawer, pulling out a syringe and coming towards me. "This will knock you out in about five minutes, we'll be back soon, gotta set up." I just nod before he injects the stuff into my arm. Everyone then leaves the room except for Cato. He sits beside me on the bed. I look up at him, our gazes meet and I guess he sees I'm scared. He awkwardly puts his hand on my leg.

"You'll be fine, I'll stay here till it's over too." He promises with a grin.

"Why?" I ask. "Why did you help me?" I let myself fall back onto the table more as my eyelids get heavy.

"Because we're partners. We're supposed to help each other, you'd do the same for me?" the last part comes out as a question.

"Naw, I'd laugh my ass off" I wave him off.

"Sure, or chuck a knife by my head." He sneers

"Yeah, thanks, for helping" I say as my eyes close and darkness starts to envelope me. I hear Cato say one last thing before I slip under, his hand still resting on my leg.

**Bahh, I know it's short, I'm sorry. Quick question though, do you want the next chapter in Cato's POV or just Cain's after surgery? I'm fine with either one. Either way you'll find out sooner or later what Cato said before she went under, just you find out sooner with his POV. XD Please review! Let's see if we can get….8-10 reviews for this chapter?**

**Mocking Verse.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Writers block on one story=work on other story. So thus comes this update. Oh, and I found Cato and Cain's theme song, literally, it's like, perfect. It's **_**Everybody Loves Me **_**by One Republic. Love it. So much. And this chapter is in Cato's POV, so hopefully I get this right XD**

**Cato POV:**

"You'll be fine, I'll stay here till it's over too." I promise with a grin.

"Why?" she ask. "Why did you help me?" She lets herself fall back onto the bed and her eyes begin to close.

"Because we're partners. We're supposed to help each other, you'd do the same for me?" I tell her, the last part comes out as a question.

"Naw, I'd laugh my ass off" Cain waves me off

"Sure, or chuck a knife by my head." I sneer

"Yeah, thanks, for helping" she tells me.

"No problem, I don't like you with other guys." I partly joke, not making eye contact. When I look back she's out. I wonder if she heard me. I did mean half of it though. I don't like seeing it, I didn't like her with Mirav, and he held her hand for God's sake. _I'm _her partner after all. I know I'm not supposed to care.

In truth, I don't care about her. But she is my partner. Whether I like it or not, we're stuck together. We did actually have a civil conversation though, well, we technically just insulted each other, but hey, better than before. Right?

No, wrong. I do care. Kind of. Maybe a little bit, just a bit. It's hard for me to tell. Hell, I'm only twelve. When I first met her I kinda liked her. Yea, she's pretty, anyone can see that for themselves, they'd be pretty stupid to say otherwise. Then we were put, no, forced together. All I've seen is a mirror image of myself, but in girl form. She's arrogant during classes, she's a natural leader, she doesn't take bullshit from anybody, thus that is why she's going into surgery soon. I've only seen that side of her, but I know there's another side. I hear her laughing with Grace when they make dinner. I see it when she's talking to her friends at lunch.

But it's like an on off switch. One second she's all happy and carefree, the next her eyes are steel, emotionless, and she's punching some kid in the face. But we're all like on off switches, it's how we've been raised. To not really show emotion. That's what school taught us. Other Districts are weak, other people are replaceable. Friends are replaceable, children are replaceable. Taking a life isn't wrong, it's just part of life, they would've died later anyways. It's dangerous to get attached to people. Which is why our 'friends' aren't really friends. The only real friend we could have here is our partner. Even attachment between siblings is dangerous, they could volunteer.

I'm taken back to reality when the door opens again; a doctor comes in, rolling in a bed. Without a word I go and lift Cain into my arms, I put her down on the bed. I look at her face, and then I feel something that I've never felt before. Scared. I'm scared for her. I instantly don't like the feeling and push it back, hide it deep down inside somewhere as I glare at the doctor.

"Don't mess up" I warn him, he nods.

"Never do" he informs me and I scoff. There's a moment of silence before he speaks again, "You can wait here if you're going too, her brothers coming up soon" and with that he leaves me alone, and I decide to stay, just like I promised.

(**A/N: okay sorry just have to put this now but…..I SAW XANDER'S USTREAM LIVE CHAT AND IT WAS GREAT! Short, but great. Very interesting, anyone else watch it? Can't wait till his next one!)**

;;;:::;;;;

It doesn't take very long until I hear the doorknob opening and Brian steps into the room. He sees me and raises an eyebrow.

"What are you doing here?" he asks roughly, causing me to stiffen.

"She's my partner" I say through clenched teeth at him as he takes a seat in a chair across from me.

"You don't know shit about her, no one does, except for me" he leans back into his chair, looking me up and down.

"It's hard to get to know her while we insult each other" I point out the obvious. Brian scowls at me.

"You have no idea what she's been through already"

"Then tell me" I mock him and he grins a bit.

"I'll tell you the basics, but the rest you have to get outta her"

"Fair enough"

"First off, she doesn't trust easy, but none of us do. She's harder though. Our parents sent her to pre-training for three years, that's all they could afford." He explains to me

"What's pre-training?" I ask him, never heard of it.

"What do you think? Training before the academy. That's how she's handy with those knives already, plus they taught instincts." All I do is give him a confused face, he groans. "For example; cover her mouth while she's sleeping and she'll wake up in a millisecond, and then look for who to attack. She never sleeps, not fully"

"Oh" is all I come up with as a reply.

"You need to get to know each other, so just be nice to her. Even if she acts pissed. That's how she hides herself." I nod and we sit in silence for a few minutes.

"What's she really like?" I ask, generally curious. This makes Brian smile.

"She's great. Sure she's cocky, arrogant, and sarcastic. But she really is a great person. She's a natural too, killer that is. She's really athletic, she taught herself how to tumble too. Does all sorts of flips and stuff, it's really cool. She'd show you if you ever asked."

"I'll keep that in mind"

We once again fall into an awkward silence. It only takes a few minutes before Brian breaks it. "Cato?"

"Yea?" I ask as I look up at him, his green eyes boring into my dark blue ones.

"Don't be a dick to her"

"If she's not one to me, I won't be one to her."

"She has reason, you weren't born just to die" he mumbles, so softly that I barely pick up on it.

"What?"

"What?"

"What'd you mean? Born to die?"

"You heard that?" I nod and he swears under his breath. "My parents only had her so she could train. So she would go in the Games. It's practically guaranteed that she'll go. They had her so our family might have a Victor."

"But if she goes-" my thoughts trail off, but Brian finishes them for me.

"You go"

And instantly, my heart goes cold against my partner.

;;;::::;;;

Cain's POV (three months later)

I grab Xadra's arm and easily flip her over, her body crashes to the ground. I smirk as Brutus blows the whistle.

"Good job Halve" he nods at me and just glances at Xadra as she slowly gets up. I go and walk off to the side where the rest of my leader class is waiting. Mirav quickly comes over and wraps his arms around me from behind.

"Great job" he whispers in my ear and I grin back at him.

"Of course it was" I laugh, "it was me" Mirav elbows me.

"Arrogant" he snaps playfully, I elbow him back

"Asshole" he grins at me. I scowl and he kisses my cheek. Out of the corner of my eye I see Cato stiffen and his hands go into fists. Good for him.

Cato and I haven't really been on…..good terms shall we say lately. Ever since my ankle healed he's been a total bitch to me. Blaming everything that goes wrong on me. So, of course, I haven't been nice to him either. Two months ago we got into an actual fistfight; which ended up with him towering over me when Brian came in and knocked him out cold.

After that we had gone to Executive to see if we could change partners. They had calmly refused, then, joy oh joy, had told Brian that he and Grace were no longer allowed to go over and check on us at night.

Other the past few months though Mirav and I were 'friends'. I still hadn't opened up to him either, never have, never will. I don't open up to people, except for family. We're closer though, and still going through our little game that pisses Cato off to no end.

"Class dismissed" Brutus tells us after another pair finishes fighting. We all go off to our rooms. I arrive first, before Cato, since he usual stays and chats with Dustan. I go and just plop myself down on the couch and put my feet up on the table and let my eyes close.

;;;::;;;;

I open my eyes again when I hear the door open and watch as Cato walks in. Only there's one little problem. His shirt is missing, and I can feel my eyes widening without my permission as I stare. I mean, how did I really not notice that before? _That _being highly sculpted, and defined, chest of my partner.

"Holy shit" I mutter to myself

Since when did Cato have, like, abs? And not just a six pack either, an eight pack. Every single muscle is defined on him. Hell, most of the upperclassmen don't even look like that. Cato is like, perfect. I mean, he's attractive, _really really _attractive. Plus, he hasn't even filled out yet, so his looks are only going to get better.

I look over the rest of him now. The rest of his muscles are ripped too. His biceps are huge, his legs strong and sturdy. He really is intimidating too. He looks older than he really is, but, so do I. I realize how much I like his hairstyle now too. It's nice really; just the front is styled up so it's out of his face.

I don't really know how long I've been staring, but I guess it's awhile, because Cato finally clears his throat. _Crap. _I slowly lift my gaze to meet his and see a big cocky grin going from one ear to the other across his face.

"So," his face changes to an open mouthed smile, "you like what you see" it's not a question either, it's a statement.

"No I don't" I answer a little too quickly, causing his grin to widen, if that's even possible. He shrugs.

"Then I'll be sure to keep it off more, so you can get used to this" he runs his hand along his stomach before he walks into the kitchen.

And secretly, I'm thrilled about that.

;;;:::;;;;

I had decided take a walk after that, which I really wish I hadn't.

I catch sight of a group of kids standing by the announcement board, so I walk over and look. I scan everything over, nothing big, until I look under the first year Simulator section. For next week, which starts in three days, there are only two names. Only one pair going in the whole thing by themselves. Being forced together, just them, for a whole week. No other contact with people besides the other person in there with them.

I'll give you three guesses on who the two are.

**Cliffy? Kinda, not really, pretty sure you know who the two are Anyways, I did some Cato POV some Cain. I really am proud of this chapter I liked writing it a lot. Plus we got seven reviews for last chapter! Let's see if we can get more for this one! I know more than seven people are reading this story, and more reviews=faster updates :D. So ya, I didn't respond to reviews this chapter. I loved them all though I just really want to get this one up ASAP. I'll respond to them in the next chapter. Love'em all and I love y'all too! Review please, for Cato**

**Mocking Verse**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins does, wish I did though, that would be epic. **

**Nelle07: **Hurray for the Simulator! **Rue-Evergreen: **Thanks, I might have to do more Cato POV, thus the reason why it's again in this chapter! **Forever9SNSD: **Ustream was fantastic! Thanks for reviewing! **Lou the Third: **hahah all hail Cato's sculpted chest! **Laurafxox: **on his ustream he just answered some fan questions, his favorite color is blue. The video of it is somewhere on YouTube too.

**Okay so I have to rant here, just, I have too:**

**Alexander Ludwig is filming Grown Ups 2 in Boston! That's like…less than an hour away from my house! FANGIRL! AND my family all went to Fenway Park, except for me of course, they didn't have enough tickets. On the same night Xander went to the Celtics! That would've been like….less than fifteen minutes apart! AHHHHH so I had spent the night by myself with ice cream and watched Water for Elephants and then finally watched the latest Twilight movie…just for the wolves though, love the pack. So ya, I could've been so CLOSE to Xander! I'm so going to Boston before they finish and looking for him, yup, not a stalker at all….just really REALLY BIG FAN!**__

**Kay, sorry, enjoy the chapter!**

Cain's POV:

I slip into the clothes I was given yesterday after class, my arena clothes.

Tan cargo pants, with plenty of big pockets. A gray long sleeve, tight fitting shirt. Above that is a loose t-shirt, same color as the long sleeved. Then a lightweight, rain repellant jacket, black. I go to the mirror and pull my hair back in a simple ponytail, just to get it out of my eyes.

I hear the water go off in the bathroom, Cato must be done with his shower. I had taken one before him, making sure to be completely clean, I won't be able to shower for a week. Not that I care too much, I usually only shower every other day.

Minutes later I hear the bathroom door open and Cato steps out, dressed identical to myself, only in men's clothes.

"Scared Halve?" he sneers at me. I scoff at him.

"You wish Harrison" he just grins at me. There's a knock at the door and I go to answer it. I open it to find Brutus and Brian.

"Ready?" Brutus asks me, I nod. "Harrison!"

"Yes sir" Cato appears next to me. Brutus moves a side for us to exit. Cato falls in step next to Brutus as I stay back with a very tired looking Brian. It's about three in the morning; we're due to be in the arena by seven. I cock my head as Brian leans down to whisper something too me.

"I can't tell you much, but just remember; you won't die, they won't kill you. But that doesn't mean you're out of harm's way. Be prepared for anything. Find water first, that's your new best friend. And I know you don't want too, but things would be easier if you find Cato"

I snort at him.

"I'm not going anywhere near him"

"Suit yourself" Brian shrugs. Now we've arrived at the hanger, Brian just gives me a curt nod, he can't follow us anymore. Brutus comes aboard the hovercraft with us, as soon as we sit in the seats, we're frozen in. Brutus pulls a syringe out of his coat pocket and comes towards me.

"This is a tracker, so we can find you; we'll take it out when you get back." I nod as he sticks it in my arm, it only hurts for a second before he's done and does Cato as well. "Now, you two will be in the arena for a week. If one of you becomes seriously injured, you will stay in. If you become critically injured, as in you will die in a matter of hours, then you will be taken out immediately, the other will remain until the week is over. As long as you don't commit suicide, you should come out alive"

"That's reassuring" I roll my eyes, the only part of me I can move at the moment.

"Shut up. Now, you will be lifted into the arena from a launch room, wait the sixty seconds for the gong, you step off you'll be electrocuted. From there go to the cornucopia, grab whatever you'd like, then you clear out. Once you both are far enough away, it will be lowered into the ground, it does not come back, so once you grab supplies those are all you get. I suggest you take full use of those pockets" Brutus grins at us.

_Ten minutes until arrival _a voice comes over the speaker system.

"Last reminders, this is being broadcasted back at the Academy, so you're being watched by your peers during lunch hours. Also. Don't kill each other"

"No promises" I grumble and send Cato a glare.

;;;:::;;;;

_Prepare for launch_

A voice comes to me from my launch room, I grin to myself as I go and stand on the metal plate. I guess Cato didn't waste any time getting on his plate, since right when I step on a glass cylinder comes down and the plate starts to rise. I'm momentarily blinded by the sudden appearance of light. And before I see anything I feel the strong gusts of wind, then I smell the grass. Then I can see, and my breath is taken away.

It's beautiful.

There's forest all around me, except for strait ahead, which a little path leads to a giant grassy field, in which I see the metal horn. I look around more, but I can't see Cato, the trees must be blocking my view. I look up above the tree line and see mountains towering into the sky, snowcapped too. I've already been counting in my head.

_Forty five, forty four, forty three, forty two_

"Cato Harrison and Cain Halve, welcome to the Year One Simulator." We hear Enobaria's voice. "I am very pleased to inform you, that the point of this Simulator is to conquer fear" I can hear the smug grin in her voice.

Great, their goal is to scare the shit outta us, wonderful.

_Thirty, twenty nine, twenty eight. _

"Good luck to you both"

_Twenty five, twenty four, twenty three, twenty two, twenty one, twenty_

I swing my arms back and forth, up and around my head. I grab my ankles and stretch my legs.

_Ten, nine, eight, seven_

I take one big jump and kick my butt with my heels, preparing my legs to run. I get in my running stance, facing strait for the horn that must be about two hundred yards away. They really want us to run don't they?

_Five, four, three, two_

I take my first step and launch myself off the platform, the gong sounded while I'm in midair. I land and don't get electrocuted, I grin to myself, glad that worked.

I push myself faster as I barrel strait for the horn. My feet pound on the dirt path and for a few moments I can't see to my sides unless I want to admire the trees. Then I can see the whole meadow. I spot Cato then, he's a little farther away from the horn than I am. I look back to the horn, my eyes locking on a fairly large brown pack. And right beside it on the inside of the horn in a wide array of knives and a sword.

_That's for me, the knives. _

But I know Cato knows that as well, and he'll take them from me. I dive for the pack as I see Cato heading towards it as well. My hand locks on the strap before I feel like I'm being sideswiped by a Capital train.

I roll to the ground, but I hold onto the pack and Cato goes rolling with me. I look from him, to the knives and smirk, letting go and grabbing a handful. I position one and aim for him, his eyes narrow at me.

"You wouldn't" he snarls.

"Give me the pack" I demand, he smirks and with a flick of my wrist I send a knife his way. He barely turns in time for it to miss his shoulder. "Give it!" I back up and grab three more knives, putting them in my pockets along with the five others; I keep one in my hand. My hand then locks around the handle of the sword and Cato's eyes widen. It's his weapon.

"That's mine!"

I grin, "I know, but only if I get my pack" he's fuming now. I toss the sword in the air and grab the tip, holding the handle in his direction. "Put the pack down, and you get your toy"

He drops the pack to the ground, I lounge and drop the sword, grabbing the pack and sprinting to the other side of the horn, where I find an axe and a bull hook. I've never used a bull hook, but I guess it might come in handy. I secure the axe to my waist and keep the hook in hand as I take off into the forest.

;;::;;;

About two hours later I stop and open my pack. I sit against a tree as I look; a sleeping bag, rope, more knives, a few small packages of food, matches, a cloth, and two water canteens. Both empty. I take the cloth and wipe the sweat off of my face. My throat is drying out now too, and it's only getting hotter.

I'll need water soon.

I put everything back inside and stuff the bull hook in before getting to my feet and moving on. I just walk towards the mountains, water runs downhill. If there's a large body of water here, then that's where it will be.

The down side is, I'm just realizing this, and have to change course completely. It will take me at least a day to get there, so hopefully I run into a stream or something.

Ten hours later, I still haven't reached my destination, and I haven't found water. But I'm getting nervous too. Things have gone smoothly so far. That's a bad sign. Either something's happened or happening to Cato, which I'm also nervous about. I don't really want him to get hurt, not too bad at least. Or something's going to happen soon.

I stop for a second and listen to the forest. Soon, due to my stillness, animals start to appear. Squirrels, rabbits, birds. I remember that I have to feed myself and slowly draw out a knife, selecting a nearby rabbit as dinner. Within seconds, it's dead.

As the sun is going down I have a fire started, my dinner cooking over it on a makeshift spindle. I take the rabbit off and eat, it's not as bad as I thought it would be, and in a few minutes, I'm packing half of it into my pack for later. I kick out the fire and start walking again.

_Only three more hours, then you can sleep _I tell myself.

An hour later, I feel like I'm being watched. I pull my pack higher on my back and clutch one of my better knives in my hand. The bushes around me sway slightly in the moonlight and I glance behind me.

Oh how I wish I didn't.

I stare strait into a pair of bright yellow eyes. I stop dead in my tracks, unable to tear my gaze away from the eyes. There's a low hissing sound and then I see a foot step out of the darkness. Slowly the animal comes out. But it's not an animal, it's a mutation.

I watch as the, what appears to be, giant lizard step out. It's a dark gray color, and has a tongue like a snake that slips in and out its mouth. It stands on four legs, which, compared to the rest of its body, are small. He is taller than I am, and must be at least fifteen feet long.

**(A/N it's a giant komodo dragon) **

It comes even closer to me, probably about twenty feet away when I come to my senses. I turn and run for my life. Adrenaline pulses through me as I run faster than I ever have before. My knuckles white on the hilt of my knife. I glance backwards and see the lizard chasing me, I cock my elbow back throw my knife at it. It hisses in anger as my knife lodges right above its eyes. When its mouth opens I see rows upon rows of serrated teeth. I gulp and turn strait and run, preparing another knife.

As I run I look at the trees, I highly doubt it can climb.

I switch my knife out for the two axes; taking one in each hand I steady my grip. I pick a sturdy looking tree and run strait at it. I hurl myself in the air at it and drive the first axe into the tree, getting a good stick and praying that my hand doesn't slip off. It doesn't. I lodge the other axe in and then begin climbing my way up to the nearest branch, which must be eight feet above me.

I unlodge and relodge the axes from the tree as I climb frantically skywards. That's when I feel teeth clamp around my foot. I let out an ear piercing scream as I frantically tug and twist my foot around. There's a loud pop and then it's gone. The lizard lets my foot go and I continue climbing, biting down on my tongue to hold in my screams.

Once I reach the branch I hoist myself up. I get my pack and take out the cloth; I shove it into my mouth and let out a scream of agony as I take off my boot. I look down at my foot and have to take the cloth out so my earlier meal can make a reappearance. The middle of my foot looked as if someone has tried to saw it off. Jagged slices ran all the way around, small puncture holes were individual teeth had sunken in for that brief moment. Blood oozed out from them.

I barely get myself strapped onto the branch before I black out.

;;:::;;;

By the time I wake up there's light all around me. My back is stiff, and my foot throbs with mild pain. I slowly lean forwards to look at my foot. It stopped bleeding, but left blood dripping on the branch and a splotch of blood on the forest floor below. There are only the small puncture holes left, whatever the thing was something made me heal fast. I had heard that the saliva in the mutts in Simulators have mild healing medicine, so that it takes a lot for them to take us out early.

Then I unstrap myself from the tree, when I get a closer look I notice the blood on the branch is frozen, it must've gotten pretty cold at night. I must not have noticed when I was unconscious.

I pack my things, stuffing my boot in my pack since my foot is too swollen to fit in it, and slowly climb down from the tree, as soon as my feet hit solid ground my knees buckle and I land in the blood, the frozen top layer cracks, and it seeps into my pants, instantly getting my knees wet.

Gross

This also reminds me of what I need most at this point, water. Judging by the sun it must be around one in the afternoon, so I've gone about thirty hours without water. Added with the amount of exercise and loss of blood I've undergone, I need it soon. Especially if I run into a mutt again, which is highly likely.

I lift myself off of my knees and slowly start to walk towards the mountains; I should reach them within a few hours. I never let go on my knife as I walk. I'm limping a little, but not too too bad. Not like I'll die from it or anything. I might if I was in real Hunger Games, but here, I'm safe. Kinda.

After an hour of just walking I try and run, it works for about ten minutes before I have to stop. I grumble to myself about how stupid feet are and how I hate lizards now too as I walk.

"You know this is really stupid, I mean, that fucked up lizard really didn't look like you put too much creativity into it. You could've made it like, orange or something." I talk aloud; it's strange not to talk for such a long time. "But I guess you had too, so whatever." I start to make motions with my free hand as I walk. Right when I finish though I hear a snap behind me, instantly I whirl around to face what is behind me.

My eyes widen and my heart stops when I see the lizard again.

"Fucked up lizard" I mumble as I start to back away, it takes a few steps closer. But I've learned from my mistakes and throw my knife and have another ready before he's even ten feet away. The first hits his eye and the thing hisses at me as I throw another in the other eye. It shakes it's head now, banging it against a tree in its blindness.

_Opportunity is knocking_ I think as I quickly fling my pack around and grab the bull hook out, I drop the pack and run toward the lizard. I slam the bull hook into its side. Another bad idea, it whirls its head around, hitting me square in the chest and I go flying backwards into a tree. I hit it with a huff and soon the thing is right in front of me.

It arches its neck and I take that moment to shove the bull hook almost all the way through its jugular.

It collapses its behemoth head landing right in my lap. Dead.

I retrieve my knives from its eyes and hold back another scream of terror as I see the eyes roll back into its head. I scramble out from under it and grab my pack. I look down at my ankle and back to the dead mutt. I walk over and take out my cloth, dipping the cloth in the saliva dripping from its mouth I dab it on my ankle.

I let out a sigh of pleasure as it fills the holes and they close up before my eyes. I sit there for ten minutes, healing myself. I must use almost all the saliva by the time I'm done. I fish out my boot and put it on, lacing it back up.

Then I'm up and jogging again. But the whole time I feel like I'm being watched.

Around four I catch sight of it. Clear, blue, pristine water. I drop my pack and jacket by the water's edge and collapse into it, letting it soak through my clothes. Once I surface I cup some water in my hands and drink; it must be safe since they didn't give us any purification.

Once I'm done I climb up into a tree again with my supplies and take out the rest of my rabbit, I sit content in the tree while I eat, deciding not to move until the morning.

;;;:::;;;

Cato's POV:

This sucks.

That's what I think as I wake up just as the sun is rising and see the long gash down my arm has gotten anything but better. It has to be worse, before it wasn't all bruised around it. Stupid goat mutation. At first, I thought it was smart of myself to head to the mountains. It was.

I found water right away and there's plenty of game so I haven't been too hungry. Then I ran into stupid what looked like regular goats. Only regular goats don't have fangs and bash you against the side of cliffs. I wonder how Cain is doing?

I climb out of cave I found and start to head downhill towards the base of the mountains. The best water source is down there. I push myself into a brisk jog as I jump down small ledges; it's actually kind of fun hiking up and down this mountain. I always liked playing on rocks and stuff.

I used to do it back how with my younger siblings. Terra and Balik. Terra is my little sister; she's nine years old now, cutest kid in the world. She has blond hair and blue eyes like me. The blond hair is from our mother. Blue eyes from our father. Balik is only seven, his hair is brown though. Spitting image of my father, he'll be strong like him too, like me. They'll be coming to the Academy as well; I think they'll love it. I really do like it, be better if my partner was better though.

I reach the base of the mountain and begin to walk through the little section of woods to the lake. And that's when I hear it.

An ear piercing scream that shatters the mornings stillness. And I only know one thing: only humans can make that sound.

And Cain is the only other person here with me.

**Ugh oh, cliffy, what's dunna happen? Ohhhhhh who knows, who knows? I DO! But you don't :O**

**Don't worry, you'll find out. I really am happy with this chapter, like how it came out. Personally. Next chapter is the rest of the Simulator, so it will be longer, like this one was. **

**I think I should be rewarded since I updated…with…I don't know…..a review? ;)**

**Mocking Verse**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks to all y'all reviewing fast I am praising you with a bonus chapter! Thus no personal messages this time cause I want to finish and get this up asap! Hope you love it! **

**Note: sorry would've been up sooner but i had to wait until my account got unsuspended. Whoops**

_Previously:_

_An ear piercing scream that shatters the mornings stillness. And I only know one thing: only humans can make that sound. _

_And Cain is the only other person here with me. _

Cato's POV:

I stop dead in my tracks. Maybe it's just a trick, a mutt. It could be. But I cringe as another scream fills the air. Now I'm jogging towards the noise.

"CATO! CATOOOOOOO!" I hear her again, this time it's my name. The second time my name dissolves into pure agony, as if something is literally ripping the skin off of her. I break into a dead sprint towards her. And as I break through the trees and see the scene on the other side of the lake I have to hold the bile in my throat from coming up.

Something is ripping the skin off of her.

She lays in the sand on her stomach, her pack and jacket lay on the sand a few feet away. But she's pinned underneath a mutt. It's knees are pinning her by holding down on the back of her knees. It doesn't have fingers, just one long ending of a hand that looks like a scalpel like claw. Its teeth, or long tooth is the same. Just one long tooth on the top and bottom, but not sharp, flat. Because if it was sharp it wouldn't be literally ripping a top layer of skin off of Cain's back with its mouth. I can see the outline of her back muscles where the skin is already gone. I look at the rest of the thing as I crash through the shallow part of the lake to the other side.

It's a feathered creature, black and silver feathers. A frilly crown is on top of its head too. Luckily it's not a big mutation. It has small wings, and I highly doubt it can fly. How could Cain not kill this thing herself, it look easy to take down. I draw my sword as I stumble to the other side and the thing looks up at me. The eyes stop me though, make me hesitate. I recognize the eyes, I should at least. I see them every day, in the mirror. The light blue eyes look human.

They look exactly like mine.

That's why she didn't attack it right away then. It looked like me. She wouldn't hurt something that looked like me, not right away at least. Now the thing is off of her and it charges towards me, but I'm ready. And I easily stab my sword through it, not looking at the eyes. Once it falls I look to Cain, she lays perfectly motionless in the sand.

"Cain?" I ask softly, slowly her head lifts up as she cringes and then whimpers in pain. She stares into my blue eyes with her green ones. Her eyes, usually cold, hard and showing no emotion, tell me a million things at once.

_I'm in pain. Thank you for saving me. I feel like I'm going to die. Help me. _

I go over and kneel beside her; I notice something that almost blends perfectly into the sand. I reach over and pick it up, but immediately drop it when I realize what it is. Her skin. I look to her back now. It's all blood red, I can see through the thin layer of skin that's left to her muscles. Somehow, miraculously, no blood is coming out. The layer of skin that's left is keeping it in, barely. I take my hand and slowly reach out and barely put my finger on it, she starts taking deep breaths and whimpers again.

"Sorry" I whisper. I hear something and immediately look up, just to see her tapping her foot on the sand. "What?" I ask and notice she's making the same motion with her foot over and over. I watch for a moment and realize she's making a 'P' with her foot in the sand. "What?"

She groans and I go to her to see her staring right at her pack. Oh, I get up and grab it and bring it back, opening it in front of her. "What do you want?" I empty it before her, she has pretty good supplies. I notice a cloth that's moist, but it smells kinda funny. "What's this?"

"Use on back" she whispers hoarsely. I go and set it on the edge of her back. First she stiffens, and then relaxes. When I take it off I notice some of the skin has grown in more. I continue until I've used the rag dry. Only a quarter of her back is done, but I made it so she can move her arms.

This is when I notice I can't really leave her and we can't stay out in the open. While coming up with a plan I go through her pack, finding a canteen of water and helping myself to some after I give her a drink. I have to pour it in her mouth, but she seems grateful. I think. I remember the little cave I had found beforehand that's in the side of the mountain and decide I'll take her there. We can cover the entrance so nothing else can get in without moving the rocks out of the way, and I can take care of her better there. But how do I get her there? I look at her and see her closing her eyes.

"No, no, no, no sleeping, you might blackout" I scold her and her eyes open a little. "Can you get up and walk?" I ask

"What do you think?" she says halfheartedly. I look back at her, she looks weak. I've never seen her like this.

"I guess not." I get up and grab my sword and her pack, putting the pack on me and the sword at my hip. My pack is still in the cave where we're heading soon. I go next to her and slip my hands under her. "This might hurt and be uncomfortable, but I'll get in the water so I can flip you around and carry you the right way." I explain as I put one arm under her across her chest and the other by her hips. I lift her up and she stiffens, clearly in a lot of pain but not voicing it. I carry her until we're deep in the water. I flip her around and she sighs as the water cleans out her back. I hold her under her knees and her shoulder blades and let the water clean her for a while before continuing onwards. It'll take a while to get there, since I can't run. So after a few minutes I look down at her to see her eyes closing. "Hey, hey you can't sleep" I tell her, she groans and I snort out a laugh. "Can't have you going unconscious and then they take you outta here. I'd be by myself"

A while later I duck down and carry her inside the small cave, gently I lay her down and instruct not to fall asleep again while I take the sleeping back out of her pack and lay it out, then I move her so she's on top of it. "Don't sleep" I warn her as I go over and begin to block in the entrance. I stack rocks for a few minutes before I hear a soft noise, I look over to see Cain asleep. I panic. I rush over and grab her shoulders, shaking them. "Wake up" I beg "Cain, wake up!" I yell and she wakes with a start, I let out a sigh. "Stay awake" I tell her exasperated.

"Talk to me" she says

"What?"

"Talk, give me something else to focus on"

"About what?"

"Yourself, we're supposed to know everything about each other anyways." I laugh, that's true.

"Well, I have two younger siblings back home. Terra and Balik. Terra is my sister, she's only nine years old. She has blond hair, blue eyes,"

"What color blue?" she interrupts.

"What?"

"What shade? I'm trying to get a picture. Like your eyes or a more subtle blue?" she explains

"Like mine, but a bit darker," she nods. "Balik is seven. He has dark brown hair and blue eyes, my eye color. He looks exactly like my father. I think he'll be strong when he grows up. They both like to go hiking though. They like climbing on all of the rocks. I take them out there a lot, to the reserve." I explain. She should know what the reserve is. It's like the woods, but inside the District. "Terra likes to sing, though I don't understand. Balik likes to fight, gets in trouble a lot the little punk" I laugh.

"He sounds like you" Cain tells me

"Ya, I guess he is like me"

"What's your favorite color?" she suddenly asks.

"Favorite color?"

"Yea, mine's yellow" she tells me, like it's the easiest question in the world.

"I don't have a favorite"

"Everyone does Cato. What color do you like to see most?"

"Red" I say instantly, thinking of the satisfying feeling when the fake blood comes out of some of the dummies back at Academy.

"See you do have a favorite" she says smugly. Her stomach growls then and I look at her, realizing I'll have to leave her to go hunt for the both of us. "Open my pack, there's packets of food there. Only get one though, we'll ration it" I nod and walk over to her pack. Once I find the food packets I feel my eyebrows furrow. It looks like she hasn't eaten anything, I grab one and go and sit beside her, since she can't get up herself.

"Did you eat anything since we've been here?"

"Of course I did, I had gotten a rabbit the first night"

"How'd you get a rabbit? I can barely take anything down"

"That's because you only use swords, I use my knives, so I don't need to get right next to something to kill it." I just nod and open the food packet, pouring some in my hand and offering them to her. Slowly she moves her arms so they're in front of her and puts her palms out. I put the food in them and she begins to eat and so do I. It's not that bad, and the food is filling, even if there is a small amount. Never knew dried fruit was this filling.

"What was your life like back home?" I ask once we're both finished. I know I had seen her around at school sometimes, but never paid much attention to her. All I knew was that she could be a real bitch sometimes.

"Pretty normal. My father works in the quarry and mum works in the factory, cutting and polishing the stone. They live on Fisher Avenue. Our house isn't too big, just a living room, kitchen, and the bedrooms and baths. But it's nice, and its home. I was usually home by myself until three hours after school. Mom works the evening shifts and dad works from morning to evening. Then there's Brian of course. I used to always have him until he left, we'd do everything together. But that was only for a few years, before that I was put through pre-training. Now _that_ is hell" she chuckles then winces as her back moves too much.

"You okay?" I instantly ask, she waves me off.

"Nothing I can't handle"

"What was pre-training?" I wonder aloud.

"Oh, that's just training beforehand. You go off and live there for a while. You still go to school, and get to visit your family every day, but you spend nights there. You pick a weapon and you train in that for three years. Obviously I chose knives, fun little things. They teach you survival tactics early on. Like how to sleep,"

"How to sleep?" I interrupt.

"Ya, quietly. I don't snore, I don't roll around. If I have a nightmare then I don't scream. I don't talk. I just go stiff. Plus I learn that if someone covers my mouth to panic and go into defense right away. We also learn how to hold our breath when we're stuck under water. How not to panic when that happens."

"Oh" is all I say.

"What about you? How was your life?" she turns the question on me.

"Well, I'm from the richer part of town. I told you about Balik and Terra. Then there's my mother, she's nice. She doesn't work, so she's home most of the time. My dad is a jerk though; all he cares about is my training. All he wants is for me to bring honor to our family."

And so for the rest of the day we just talk, I leave once or twice to go refill our water supply, and to go take care of other needs. I have to help Cain outside too so she can go to the bathroom. But other than that it's not too bad. Whoever is controlling this seems happy that we're getting along and is letting us be safe for as long as we're together. I learn a lot about Cain. Her favorite season is summer, mostly because there's no school and she likes hot weather. She broke her arm in a fight when she was ten against an upperclassman. Her favorite food is pudding, which she's had once in her life.

In turn I tell her about myself. How my favorite season is fall, since that's when my birthday is. I only lost a fight once, to her. And my favorite food is chicken, which works out well since that's what we eat almost every day back at Academy. I tell her about the time when I and my 'friend' Duke thought it would be a good idea to try and climb one of the rubble piles down in the quarry, which resulted in many scraps and cuts on my part; a broken leg on Duke's.

Now it's dark out and I just hold a flashlight that I found in my pack. I'm taking first watch, so Cain is in her sleeping bag. I finally decided to let her sleep since she seems stable now. She was out like a light as soon as I said she could.

I rub my hands together; they make it really cold at night. I can already see my breath, and it's early still. I wrap the jacket tighter around myself, attempting to get warm without success. It's only been about two hours, I'd start a fire, but then the smoke might build up in here and that wouldn't be good at all. I decide to distract myself and busy myself studying Cain's face without shining the light on her too much.

She really is a pretty girl. She had high cheekbones, broad shoulders. She didn't look mean when she was asleep. She looked peaceful for the most part. Her black hair covered some of her face now.

Then I watch as her whole body goes rigid. What? She doesn't make a noise, doesn't move, and just stiffens. I watch and notice her breathing gets ragged too. But she's silent, and I don't know what's going on. Until I remember out conversation hours before.

_If I have a nightmare then I don't scream. I don't talk. I just go stiff._

Nightmare, she's having a nightmare. I put the flashlight down and walk over and crouch next to her. I put my hand on her arm and notice the goose bumps. I shake her softly.

"Cain, Cain wake up." I call to her gently. She still doesn't move, I shake a little harder. "Cain" I resort to just stroking her arm with my thumb and slowly she relaxes, then her eyes open. "Hey"

"It's cold" she whispers as she starts to shiver.

"I know, I'm cold too"

"I can share" she tells me.

"Share what?" I ask, I see her poke to sleeping bag.

"This, get in" she holds it open for me.

"Cain, I don't think"

"Please, you helped me." She argues. I sigh and climb in next to her. I lay on my side and she moves closer to me, instantly I feel the warmth coming from her. "You're warm" she murmurs sleepily. She rolls so she's on her side, her back not on the ground, but facing me. I put an arm over her and pull her a little closer, then draw circles on her shoulder like I do when Terra or Balik have nightmares. "Thank you" she tells me softly.

"Mhmm, sleep, I'll wake you when I get tired" and then she drifts off again, and the nightmares don't come again.

;::;;

Cain's POV:

That's how the next three days go. Cato and I stay together. My back heals up until I can move around and run and jump with only a little pain. We spend most time in the cave, I hunt for us and Cato usually gets the water. We run into some mutts though, but they're easy to take down when we work together. I'm not saying we become friends; sometimes he's still a real arse. Though at night we still go to our same setup, we share the sleeping back. Though I've made it perfectly clear that, once we get back, we are _most certainly _sleeping in separate beds.

"Will you hurry up Cato? I want to get food!" I call to him; he said he wanted to come with me to hunt today.

"Yeah yeah, just a sec." I groan at his response. Then I grin to myself, crouch down and then spring up and do a backflip, landing on my feet. My back withstands the movement, so I do another one, it feels good since I haven't done one in a while. I find joy in the simple but complex antics. And soon I'm doing a back handspring, then another, then another, all in a row. I tuck in the air and land firmly on my feet, a smile taking up my features. "Well that was impressive" I hear behind me. I look back at Cato and give him a smug smile.

"Common"

I start making my way down to the woods and Cato follows me from behind, soon enough I stop walking in the middle of the forest. "Now don't make a sound" I tell him, he nods and stands a few feet behind me. We stand there for a minute, then two, then three.

"How long will this take?" Cato asks.

"Shhh shut up and it will go faster!" I hiss, he shuts up after that. Five minutes later the game starts to appear, I set my sights on a rabbit again, which I've found is actually one of my favorites. I slide the knife from my pocket and grip the silver hilt and slowly draw back my arm. Then, with near perfect form, I let the knife fly from my hand. With a thud it lodges into the rabbit and, before a nearby squirrel can react I've reloaded, jerked to my left, and taken away its life as well.

I go collect the game and then turn and smirk at Cato. "See, you just need to keep your trap shut"

;;::;;

The next day at noon a gong sounded throughout the arena.

"Congratulations you two, now, in order to go back, you both will need to make your way to the cornucopia, which has resurfaced. Once there, go inside and you'll see a similar launch plate, once on it, it will take you down and out of here. Good luck" Enobaria's voice comes to us. I let out a whoop of joy.

"Bye Cato" I tell him before grabbing my pack, which is mostly empty except for food and water, I'm leaving the sleeping bag and cloth and other things here. No need for them now.

"Where are you going?" he asks

"Cornucopia dumbass" I say.

"Wait five seconds for me then." I think for about three seconds, then shake my head and bolt out of the cave. I can here Cato running behind me, but I'm faster. I go and jump at the edge of a ledge, do a flip in the air and land and keep going. I let out another whoop and run down the mountain and then start going through the forest.

I'm in the middle of the forest when I hear it and stop short.

Hissing. Low, threatening, hissing. I watch in front of me as a giant lizard appears a hole above its right eye. I'm dumbstruck staring at it, fear consuming me. I've never taken one of these mutts on by myself, Cato's always been here. I feel a hand on my shoulder but don't move.

"Told ya you should've waited for me" I hear Cato. I just nod. "Come on, just like the others" he coaxes me on and I take out two of my knives. Simultaneously I chuck them at the beast and they hit square in the eyes. Cato takes over from there, rushing forwards and stabbing the thing through the heart. It's our system that we've been using.

I take a few gulps of water before we start off again, walking through the brush listening for any signs of a mutt. The sound we hear after ten minutes of walking isn't a mutt though. I hear it first, since Cato is walking about ten feet ahead of me, mumbling to himself about lazy girls. Stupid asshole.

There's a loud snap, then another, then another. I whirl around and my eyes grow wide, but I squint quickly. You would too if you saw a wall of fire barreling towards you.

"Cain run!" I hear Cato and when I turn around I see he's already taken off, leaving me behind him. I take off after him, pushing myself faster as I feel the heat from the fire on my back.

"Cato help!" I yell, but he doesn't even look back, but I know he hears me, I'm only a few feet behind him. And that's when my foot snags on a root and my face collides with the ground. Blood fills my mouth and that's all I taste. And then I'm on fire and the world goes black.

**Ohhhh cliffy. Dunananan ohh whats gunna happen dunannana ohhh no dunannaan we gotta save Peach! Lol I've been watching Josh Hutcherson youtube videos again haven't i. why yes I have. Never gets old, omg that should be my ringtone. If you havn't seen it look up josh Hutcherson Mario theme song. Its hilarious. Anywho please review it means the world to me and thus is the reason why a capitals game hasn't been updated cause Ive only gotten one review out of my usual four or five, so yeah. **

**Mocking Verse**


	12. Chapter 12

**Wow, look at me go, TWO updates in one night, holy shit. Ya, I updated a different story too but hey I updated this one too! Thanks for all the reviews and hey guess what I found out the other day! My other story 'Mining Hearts' is like, the most popular Gale/OC fanfic on fan fiction. I was like, (alexander Ludwig moment here) my fans are the shit. :D love all you guys who helped get that story so popular. **

**Well, enjoy the chapter!**

Cain's POV:

When I first come back into consciousness immediately I'm hyperaware of the scorching that I feel on my back. Damn, I feel like I was on fire. Oh wait, I was. The next thing I notice is the sounds of the room I'm in, more specifically, the sound of Brian yelling at someone, most likely Cato.

"What the hell were you thinking!" he yells.

"I-"

"No Cato! Don't answer that! She's your god damned _partner!_ You save your partner!"

"I was saving myself, it's a thing called survival!" now Cato's mad. I manage to get my eyes to open just in time to see Brian slam a weak looking Cato into the wall.

"You were in the Simulator" Brain growls, his forearm over Cato's throat. "They won't kill you there, it was a test, one that you, by the way, failed" he spits out. "Congrats"

"Brian, stop" I manage to choke out, my brother whips around, the sudden release of pressure makes Cato fall to the ground.

"Cain" Brian comes over, "He left you to die!" he mad at me too.

"We were in the Simulator" I grin weakly, "They won't kill us there" I use his words against him; he turns and storms out of the room.

"Thanks" Cato coughs from the floor; I notice we're in a hospital room, back at school.

"No problem shitface." I smile at him as he glares.

::That night::

_I'm walking through the woods again, alone. The leaves don't make a sound when I walk on them. I look up towards the sky, it's peaceful here. Peaceful isn't good. And then I feel it. _

_I'm being watched. _

_I turn around, my hand clasping for a knife that I find isn't there. My eyes widen as they meet bright yellow eyes. I gulp then turn and run. I don't get very far though, before I'm taken down by the monster. _

_I hold back a scream. Everywhere it touches me makes me feel as though I'm on fire. When I look at my back, I see I am. My body begins to shake, my arms twitch. The thing moves on top of me more and the feeling of flames travels along with it. I kick out with my legs, hitting something hard and whimpering slightly. _

"_Cain" I hear a voice call in the distance. Then there's another pressure on my shoulder. The monster moves up and its body comes in contact with my neck and it burns. I let out a strangled cry and the pressure on my shoulder moves down to my back. _

"_Cain, shh, it's okay, wake up" I hear the voice again. I recognize it then. Cato. _

My eyes fly open and I'm covered in sweat. I'm breathing hard and the covers to my bed are on the floor. Cato and I had moved back in earlier. I flip myself onto my stomach and burry my face in the pillow. I feel Cato's hand go over my back again; I notice the sag in the bed and realize he's sitting on the side of my bed.

"It was just a bad dream Cain" he tells me.

"I was on fire again" I admit and his hand stills over my back.

"Sorry"

I roll over on my side and look at him. "Don't be"

"You okay now?" he asks and I nod.

"Goodnight"

"Goodnight" and too fall asleep, I have to remind myself that Cato is only a few feet away.

;;::;;

The next few months go by smoothly. Brian doesn't come to visit much anymore, saying that we just need to work it out by ourselves. Which we do, sorta. We do still get into fights, but for the rest of the first year we only come close to one almost killing the other three more times.

I go back home for a weekend to visit my parents, were of I tell them about Cato and how I like school. Apparently our father's work together. It's not too hard to say goodbye to my parents though. Though I hate to admit it, I actually look forward to seeing Cato again when I get back home.

When he goes off for a weekend though, I'm unprepared for how it affects me. Sleep wise, I'm a complete disaster. Usually I just tell myself Cato is there, but when I can't do that, nightmares come full force.

When he is there and I have a nightmare, he can tell, and he wakes me up. He just strokes my back until I calm, usually I just hide my face in my pillow until I'm good. Rarely do I find him having a nightmare, but when I do, I return the favor of waking him up.

Class wise, we excel. Sure, it takes us awhile to get past the arguing, but once we get to actually working together, no one can beat us. I learn how to be a decent spear thrower, though it's not near as good as my knives. We do start learning other skills. How to tell what plants are poisonous, which ones are safe to eat, which one could heal wounds.

Socially, Mirav and I still enjoy taunting Cato. He holds my hand, puts his arm around my shoulders. My other friends and their partners get along fantastically. It seems Cato and I are the only pair who don't like each other.

We do get the week of the reapings off. Which no one needs to worry about. The Tributes from District Two were selected by the Academy Council. They are the ones who will volunteer. Luckily, I don't know either of them. And the Games go by as they always did. Watching, cheering for our favorites, picking up new tactics, new techniques, studying the arena. For the majority of the Games Cato and I just stay in our room for all of our free time, eyes glued to the television that was replaced while we were in the Simulator.

We find things to talk about. The tributes, their scores, their talents. We even make a little bet on the winner. So, when the boy from District One is crowned Victor, Cato is crowned the honor of making me dinner for the next month.

And so, by the end of my first year at the Academy. Cato and I can proudly say we can mildly tolerate each other.

**Short, I know, sorry. But that's all I got for this chapter. And ya, next chapter is the start of Year Two! Whoot whoot. So Cain and Cato are now thirteen years old! And they didn't kill each other! Hurray! **

**Please review for me!**

**Mocking Verse**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey new chapter time, maybe I can do two chapters today! Hurray! **

**Bbymojo:**_** haha yes I love shitface too! And yes the story will be going faster until they're older and more starts to happen. So maybe three chapters for each year until say year four? So maybe today I can finish year two! **_**Rue-Evergreen: **_**Wahoo! I remembered your user name without having to double check for once! *pats self on back* haha and thanks for reviewing and yes, tolerance is very good. **_

**Okay, so I had this idea, which is a fun idea. I'm going to make a little clip to go along with this story! Like using clips from the movie and stuff, it will only be like thirty seconds but oh well. It'll be posted hopefully later this week on my YouTube channel which my username is CatoMellark2 cause their my two favorite characters, so I put the names together, then 2 for District 2. So, enjoy the chapter!**

_It's the one person who knew you and accepted you and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would._

*Four months into Year Two*

"Halve your turn" Brutus calls me up; we're showing him our main weapon, which for me, of course, are my knives. Leader class is the same as it was last year; Cato and I still being on the top. Mirav is still here too, but we aren't really friends, or whatever we were, anymore. Not since I had returned from the Simulator. He said he didn't like me anymore because I was apparently friends with Cato. Whatever, not like I care or anything.

I go to a line on the gym floor and easily throw my knife and it lodges in the bull's-eye. Brutus nods his approval and tells me to go back about twenty feet. I do and look at how very far away the dummy now is. I must be at least a hundred and twenty feet away. I mean, really? For an older tribute, like a seventeen year old, they _might _be able to make this shot.

"She can't do that!" Becca calls out from where the others are watching. Dustan is quick to agree with her. "A fourth year can't even make that shot, unless it was their main choice!"

"Shut up! Let her try, I want to see what'll happen!" Brutus snaps at her and she instantly backs off. I take a deep breath, and then glance over to the other tributes. I see Cato give me a short nod; he thinks I can do it. I grip the hilt of the knife and draw my arm back.

I hurl it towards and let go of the hilt, the knife goes hurtling towards the dummy and sticks, six inches from the bulls-eye.

"Told you she couldn't!" Dustan sneers.

"Try again" Brutus tells me. I'm about to when I see Cato coming over. He comes and stands behind me.

"Your stance was off from your usual; spread your feet out a little more. Let go sooner too, the higher it is the farther it flies." I nod and then feel his hand on my back between my shoulder blades. "And keep your back strait, you slouch when you're nervous" I chuckle a little.

"You stand strait as a board when you're nervous" wait, when did I ever notice that? Oh well. Cato backs up a few steps and nods at me.

"You can do this, I know you can." I nod back and straiten my back. And this time, when I let the knife go, it sticks dead in the bulls-eye. I'm so happy I let out a little cry. I turn and, before I can think, run and wrap my arms around Cato. He wraps his arms around me and picks me up. "Told ya" he grins at me.

Then we realize what we're doing and he puts me down.

"Nice throw Halve" Brutus tells me, he even gives me an encouraging slap on the back.

"Thanks" I say sheepishly, still a bit embarrassed from what happened a few seconds ago with Cato.

We've become, I hate to admit it, more or less friends over the past few months. At the beginning of the year we would just tolerate each other, try not to get pissed at the other for every little thing they did. And by not getting mad at him all the time, I've noticed the little things about Cato.

He always gets off on the left side of the bed in the morning; he never double knots his shoes, which is why they come undone all the time. He always brushes his teeth twice in the mornings, he doesn't really care about how his hair looks, and he always sits in the same seat at the same table at lunch. He always finishes lunch quickly so he can get back to training; he weighs himself every night before he goes to bed. He never wears the same shirt two days in a row, and, most interestingly, he always waits to come to bed five minutes after I go to bed. Every night, I start keeping track as soon as I close the door so the light won't come in. And every night, right when the clock switches so it's been five minutes, the door opens and Cato comes to go to bed.

We still help each other with our nightmares too. I asked him a few weeks ago how he could tell when I was having a nightmare. Since I don't scream or thrash. He said he just gets this feeling that something's wrong. He said if he checks and I'm having one then I'm usually rigid and my legs twitch occasionally. He had fired the question back at me and I had just said that his breathing gets irregular and he groans sometimes.

Things have changed though. Everyone is changing. The girls in our year are. We're growing up, and the boys are noticing. It was a bit strange the first time I checked my dresser and found bras in my size in there for me. But I put them on anyways. They had left me a razor too, which I had to figure out how to use on my own, and I cut myself a few times. But I know how to use it right now.

Cato hasn't changed much yet. He's only getting taller, which is only improving his looks. He's gaining muscle faster, his biceps are getting bigger. We are about the same height though, he's maybe five seven while I'm five five. He hasn't shot up yet, but I can tell he'll be pretty tall.

Some of the other boys are really different though. Justin is taller than Cato and his voice is deeper, he doesn't sound like a little flute anymore, which he got teased about last year.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as we're dismissed to go to lunch. I go out the door towards the cafeteria alone with everyone else and get my food and then take my place at my usual table. We talk about random things, mostly training, before I get up and decide to go to my room really quick to check and see if I need to pick up another knife. We're running low after Cato and I's last fight. I take the stairs two at a time as I run up. I'll have to be quick if I am to get to class in time. I'll be punished if I'm late.

Vix is our trainer this year, and once again Cato and I are both in his class. I've heard he is big on punishment, as all the upper year trainers are. But no one in our class has done anything to get him really pissed off yet.

I run down the hallway and open the door to our room and check the knife drawer. We have two left, out of the seven we had started with. I make a mental note to get more as I look at the clock and my stomach sinks. I have three minutes to get to class, that's five minutes away. I sprint out the door and down the hallway, I go as fast as I can down the stairs until my ankle slips from under me at the top of a flight and I go tumbling down the rest.

I ignore the pain as I push myself up again; I take a step and wince. It hurts, badly, but that doesn't matter. I force myself to keep going until I reach the training room, when I come through the doors everyone else is already waiting, and Vix looks pissed.

"Where were you!" He bellows at me.

"My room sir" I answer, trying my best to stand up straight but failing because of my ankle. He notices.

"Stand up straight!" He orders and goes around to my back. I don't cry out when his hand comes in contact roughly between my shoulder blades. "You were late!" he points out the obvious.

"Yes sir" I say. "By three minutes" He leans in close to my face, his eyes narrowed.

"You know the punishment for being late?" he whispers

"No sir"

"Follow me" he then turns and starts walking towards an elevated platform, where two posts are placed about four feet apart from each other.

Whipping posts.

I swallow my fear as I ascend the steps, once there Vix grabs the back of my shirt and forces me to my knees between the posts, which makes me face the whole room. Everyone is watching. My wrists are both tied to the posts as I sit up straight.

I keep my eyes trained on the back wall as my shirt is ripped off my back, leaving me in only my bra before all classes using the room. Most have stopped to watch, but the only ones really required to watch are those in my class.

"You won't be late again will you?" Vix asks me.

"No sir" I answer him.

"You get five whips for each minute you're late, you do the math"

Fifteen times.

I hear the whistle of the whip flying through, then snap just seconds before it comes in contact with my back. My shoulder blades come together as reflex of the searing pain. But I don't cry out, I bite my tongue instead. Another whistle, another snap, another wave of pain. My eyes search the crowd and find Cato.

He's standing and watching, his hands are clenched into fists by his sides. Another lashing, right across a burn scar forces me to bite down on my tongue and my mouth is filled with the metallic taste of blood. It fills my mouth rapidly, and not wanting to show the pain, to show how much this hurts me, to keep my pride, I swallow it. It makes me gag. Another lash and I force my eyes shut.

But it doesn't help, now I can't see the Vix's shadow, I don't know when it's coming, so I wince when I'm lashed again. Only eleven more. I open my eyes again and see Cato is at the front of the stage.

"Eyes on me" he tells, no demands me, and I listen. And as I make eye contact I show him everything I'm feeling. The pain, the fear. Blood refills my mouth, and again, I'm forced to swallow. Cato cringes as he sees me swallow. "Don't do that" I manage a grin.

"Pride to my family" I say simply before letting out another yelp as I'm whipped.

Ten whips later, I'm slouched over, only head raised, eyes in contact with Cato's. I've swallowed my own blood at least six times. Vix unties my wrists and I fall to the ground.

"Everyone but Harrison and Halve back to training. Harrison, get her cleaned up" Vix orders. I hear footsteps coming towards me. I open my eyes, which I closed when I fell and slowly, with Cato's help, stand on my feet again.

"I'll get your shirt" I hear Cato say, I nod before I feel the blood that's pooled at the back of my throat. I gag again, then doubled over and vomit. It's all blood that pours out of my mouth. I start to gag again and I feel someone patting my back where it's not whipped. More blood comes out, when I'm done I stand up straight again. Cato holds out my shirt for me.

"Thanks"

"No problem, common, let's go get you cleaned up." I nod and go to take a step before my ankle starts to give and I have to limp. Cato looks at me. "Stop, I'll carry you" I don't even try to put up a fight. He picks me up easily. "What happened to your ankle?"

"Twisted, it'll be fine"

He just nods. Before long we're in the kitchen of our room. Cato lays me down on the table and tells me to take my shirt off again. I do so as he grabs a big pot and puts it under my head so if I need to throw up again I don't get it all over the floor. I watch in wonder as he finds some disinfectant soap and mixes it with a bowl of warm water. He takes rags and soaks them, then lays them over my back. I wince when they first come in contact with my back, then relax as it washes the blood away.

"How do you know?" I ask him finally. He looks up from making another soapy water rag.

"Know what?"

"How to help me." He shrugs.

"My mom helped people who had been whipped; I've watched a bunch of times."

"Oh, thanks"

"No problem" his hands still in the water again after a bit. "How many times have you thrown up?" he asks.

"Twice"

"You should do it one more time. You swallowed eight times, so you haven't gotten it all out yet."

"Oh," and then I clench my stomach muscles together quickly, resulting in making myself gag again. I feel it come halfway up and then it stops, I try to gag again but I can't, I can't get air in either. Cato seems to hear it not working, because then hands are on my back, just below my neck and he pushes down hard. It constricts my chest and makes me throw up into the pot.

"Now there's less of a chance for you to try and throw up while you sleep and end up drowning yourself" he casually tells me.

"Well thanks, that's reassuring" I say sarcastically, a smirk tugs on his lips.

"I know right"

"Shitface" I tell him, using the nickname I've given him since last year.

"Asshole" he shoots back and we both grin as he lays another rag on my back. Maybe we will be able to be good friends. Maybe.

**Like it? Love it? Mayybeee? Please review!**

**Mocking Verse**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ya thanks for the reviews!**

**Agethebest: **_thanks! _**Bbymojo: **_thanks you! And ya, I figured hey it's district two, they're not that gentle. Plus when you want something to go faster you can whip it so that happens, so that's along the lines I was thinking. _**Rue-Evergreen: **_hurray for Cato…and..maybe..or maybe not..that's classified information. _**Lou the Third: **_thankies!_

**Well, here ya are, another chapter, personally I can't wait till year four, when their sixteen, that's gunna be one fun year! OH and I put up a video I made of the two. Well, Cato mostly, since I didn't really want to find an actually person and be like ya that's Cain, I'm sure you all picture her differently so in the vid I just took this faraway shot of Clove being badass with a knife and used that and boom Cain, though they do look different, but you can't see Clove's face so it works. Enjoy the chapter! **

Cain's POV, a month later:

Once again, I'm stuck in a fucking glass tube. I let out a sigh as it begins to rise, lifting me into the year two Simulator. Cato is going to be here as well, but it's not just us this year. Me, Cato, Irma, Nathan, Mirav, and Bonny are all going to be in. We only all found out last week, but hey, District Two isn't really known for their warning system.

I'm momentarily blinding by the sudden appearance of light, but then I'm shocked at what I see. Sand?

"What the hell is this!" I yell throwing my hands up into the air. I'm already starting to sweat, it has to be at least a hundred degrees.

"It's called a desert pumpkin!" Nathan yells to me, it's a pretty damn small arena, so we're only about fifty yards away from each other on the sides, the cornucopia only about a hundred.

"I see it's a fucking desert! It was a rhetorical question! And call me pumpkin again and you'll get a knife in your skull!" That shuts him up. I look around more. As far as I can see, it's a pretty whacked up arena. There's like a forest to my right, front and back, the floor still sand, and you can see more miles upon miles to the left. You can see at least two water sources that are out in the open. I look back to the cornucopia and see the countdown is at twenty five.

_Twenty four, twenty three, twenty two_

I look around until I spot Cato, he's already ready to run, he catches my gaze and raises his eyebrows at me._ What is this? _He seems to ask. I shrug. I ready myself and look at the sand. I've never run in sand before, so I don't really know how it will be. Though he shoes have tread, I doubt that will help. Seems as though they want us to climb this time.

_Ten, nine, eight, seven, six _

I take a deep breath and stretch my legs, jumping in the air and kicking myself in the butt. I bounce on the balls of my feet.

_Five, four, three, two, one _

I take off as the gong sounds, bounding off the plate. It's awkward as soon as my foot hits the sand, I try to take a running step but I over stride and end up crashing to the ground. A face plant into the sand. Fuck. My. Life.

I push myself up and continue on, being sure to lift my feet higher so that I don't fall again. I stagger the first few steps, but I get the hang of it. I hate sand though, that's now official. I look to the cornucopia and see I'm not the only one who was slowed, though it seems no one else fell. Fantastic. Bloody fantastic. My eyes lock on a set of Twin Sais as I rush towards them. I easily grab them; I first used them a few weeks ago, instantly my second favorite weapon. I shove one in the loop on my pants and hold the other as I charge for a pack. I grunt as I'm slammed into someone else.

"Fuck you" I grunt as I knee Irma in the gut, all past acts of us being 'friends' forgotten. She instantly doubles over clutching her chest and I fling the pack over my shoulder, quickly getting to my feet. There's a rebelling force on the pack and I look to see Nathan clutching it as well. Without thinking I take my Sai and slice his forearm. He wasn't expecting that and lets out a scream of pain, I cut deep. He won't die though, naw, he'll be fine in a few days. I start backing away from him, then take off towards the woods, if you can even call them that.

At the edge of the woods I remember something kinda important. Cato. I suddenly stop, another thing you can't do in sand, I learn this as my face gets covered in sand again. I look up from the ground back at the cornucopia. I scan the bodies until I locate the largest one. There's my big arrogant partner. And true to himself, he's going in the wrong direction.

I guess I can't get mad, we didn't make any plans. But he sure as hell is not ditching me seeing what happened last time. I scramble to my feet and take off after him. Luckily he's only about thirty feet to my left; he couldn't see me because our clothes are also sand color. Or he just ignored me completely. I'm just going to tell myself it's not the latter. I take off after him sprinting. Please don't go faster, please don't go faster.

"SHITFACE!" I scream. Cato slows down to a walk and looks back. I run up and stand beside him since he's come to a stop.

"Hey asshole" he grins. "You sure looked like you had fun eating sand" his smirk comes on his face, I slap him upside the head and ignore that comment.

"You sure as hell aren't ditching me" I say between gasps for air.

"Come on then, we need water" we both start walking deeper into the sandy woods.

I look up and glare at me. "No shit shitface" I say with mock shock.

"I can ditch you if I want" he sneers

"Nugatory statement my friend, I'm faster than you"

"Not when you're sleeping" that shuts me up.

Five hours later, we still haven't found water, we're both dehydrated, and we're both covered in sweat, and we're in pissing moods. We've stopped and I'm sitting against the back of a tree, in the shade but it's burning my butt. Stupid sand. We've gone through the pack.

A sleeping bag, which I won't be getting into, two knives, rope, and one canteen for water. Bone dry. Cato's pack just had a switchblade, one empty canteen, a water purifier, and small packets of dried food. The only weapon he had picked up was a sword.

I sigh and start to take off my thin shirt; I have to literally peel it off.

We didn't have much for our outfits. Just cargo shorts and a thin short sleeved shirt. I knew it was going to be hot, but not scorching. They also gave, at least to me, black underwear. Cato apparently sees me taking off my shirt.

"What are you doing?" he asks, his voice raspy from no water.

"Keeping cool" I say simply, by the time I get my shirt off, Cato is working on his. If we were in any normal situation, I would be practically starring at Cato's sculpted chest that has only gotten even better to look at without him noticing, but for now. I really don't care.

"Maybe there's no water over here" Cato contemplates.

"Maybe, I'll check from the trees" I say, then I just sit there. I don't want to move. Cato can't really climb many trees, since he's heavier, and to be honest, he sucks at tree climbing.

"You gunna check?" he asks after two minutes.

"Yep" I say, then ever so slowly, push myself off the ground and face the tree I was leaning on. My vision is a little blurry, but it clears quickly and I jump up and grab the lowest branch. I hoist myself up, finding that the shoes do indeed help greatly in climbing.

Once I'm at the top I look out and see just how small the arena is. And that it's a rectangle. And we've been walking the long way. I groan, then look for water.

It's hard, trying to decide if the huge lake my mind makes me see is real or not. I'm pretty sure it's a mirage, so I keep looking. Then I spot a small clearing about five miles away. There has to be water there. I begin to descend the tree slowly. Until my foot slips, the tread having only gone in one direction and I let out a very embarrassing high pitched squeal as I go crashing down. Fuck gravity.

My leg gets clotheslined by a branch and I'm flipped over, landing smack on top of something that's a lot sweater than sand is. I don't move though until it groans and I discover Cato was looking up watching me.

"Sorry" I moan.

"Did you see water?"

"I think so" with that said I'm unceremoniously rolled off of Cato and into the sand. I get up to my feet and point in the direction of the clearing, "That way" I tell him.

Surprisingly, when we get there, there is water. It's a small pond, but hey, water is water. It's brown and murky but I'd drink black water right now. We purify it and then take our time drinking.

We decide to camp out here; clearly the point of this arena is surviving the elements, so I'd be surprised to find many mutts. We roll out the sleeping bag and I lay on top of it under the shade of the trees.

And we stay there for the next three days, the pond getting smaller and smaller as the sun makes the water evaporate. When the sun is at its strongest the water actually begins to boil. Cato and I spend our time trying to stay cool, covered in the always present thick sheen of sweat. We eat from the packets of food Cato had in his pack, which is a lot. Other than that there are lizards, which, when you cook them over a fire, taste a lot like chicken. Cliché I know, but they really do. We don't see much of anyone else, though we are informed that Bonnie had been taken out of the arena, heat stroke we're told.

I had nearly wet myself when the cannon had suddenly went off and her picture appeared in the sky, 'Heat Stroke, back at Academy' was shown underneath. I had also caught a glimpse of Irma and Nathan walking across the flatland, most likely surviving on the water sources we had seen from the starting disks. Nathan seemed to be favoring his arm, I almost felt bad. Almost. I had seen nothing of Mirav.

Day five in the Simulator Cato and I wake up to find our water supply empty. All dried out, we did have the warm water in our canteens though. That would last us a day, maybe.

"We need to find more" Cato says as I walk around, scuffing up the sand that was once our watering hole. That's another thing; I hate sand with a burning passion. Cato hasn't let that drop, always reminding me how I ate sand, twice.

"I know" I say, groaning in frustration.

We pack up and set off back towards the flatland, the only real water source we think should still be there and accessible.

As we walk I'm sure that it has to be at least ten degrees hotter than usual. We both drag our feet, not having the energy or adrenaline to try in this place that has the temperature of hell. Neither Cato nor I have put our shirts back on since taking them off. You would think we would at night, but whoever controls this has chosen to make it scorching hot, twenty four seven.

It has to be around noon when we stop for a break. I tip back my canteen and let the last of the warm water to roll down my throat. Increased temperatures have made us drink faster, though I know I'm dehydrated. When I tried too, I wasn't able to urinate very much. Our bodies are using the intake of water to be made into more sweat.

I'm sweating less and less, which isn't a good sign.

"I'm out" I announce and look to Cato, his hair sticks to his forehead, he had changed his hairstyle so it wasn't spiked up in the front a few months ago, it wouldn't have mattered now though. I'd stick either way. His face is slightly red, as it always is in here.

"Same here" His face goes skeptical. "I bet they're going to try something soon, they want us to have no water"

And as if on cue I hear a sharp crackle. I turn around and see my greatest fear since leaving the first Simulator. It's coming towards us from the direction we came, and at an alarmingly fast pace.

Fire.

**Ya! Please please review! Love you all! If I get six reviews I'll put up the next chapter TODAY!**

**Mocking Verse**


	15. Chapter 15

**So since I'm starting this immediately after uploading the last chapter, my responses for the last chapter will be in the end AN. Thanks and love to all! **

I'm stuck in place. I feel like someone has tied cement blocks to my ankles. And trust me, I know what that feels like, it's been done before. I just stare at the wall of fire; just looking at it makes my back feel like it's scorching again.

"Cain run!" I hear Cato shout, but he sounds far away. I feel someone pulling on me, but I don't move. I _can't _move. "Cain you have to run!" he's panicked now. It's fine though, he'll go again. But he proves me wrong. Next I see is his face in front of me, he's gripping my forearms. "I left you once; I'm not doing that again Cain! I'm not going without you" he tells me, I begin to back up slowly. Cato walks forward as I back. "I'm staying with you" I nod again.

"Okay" I barely get out, my eyes on the fire. He spins me around, grabs my hand in his own, and then takes off running, towing me behind him.

It only takes a moment for the pure adrenaline of the moment to come over me and I get the boost of energy to run faster. I keep pace with Cato and we let go of our handhold. We run side by side, even though I could easily pass him now, but I stay by him.

The feeling of the arena is now very claustrophobic as we run, dodging trees, being careful of the sand, being pursued by fire. But somehow, with Cato running beside me, those things don't really scare me as much.

We match each other stride for stride and I push myself faster, when I get ahead a little, Cato quickly adjusts to my pace.

"Faster?" I ask, in response Cato goes forward, I easily go faster.

We don't dare to slow down; we don't dare to look back, until we burst out of the forest onto the flatland. I glance back and see the fire stopping at the edge of the forest, burning all of the trees, surely there will be nothing but ash left when it finally extinguishes.

My mind sees the threat is over and the adrenaline stops coming abruptly, I stumble and fall to the ground. Black dots flood my vision as I see Cato come to a stop. He may be slower, but he doesn't get weak as quick as I do. Everything gets blurry in my vision as it fades in and out. I clutch my head, trying to make it stop. I see Cato look over at me, and then worry crosses his features.

"Cain?" again he sounds far off, too far away to only be standing the five feet away that I know he is. I bring my knees to my chest, curling into a small ball as I start to feel hot, but no sweat comes. Cato takes a step forward, and then there's three of him, all swaying back and forth, back and forth, back and forth in my sight. I clamp my eyes shut to make it go away.

"Hey! Cato!" I hear another voice shout. Nathan. That's who it is. I feel hands on my shoulders.

"Cain?" I hear Cato's voice again, it's farther away now. "Please don't leave me" I hear, barely hear, before my world goes black.

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And then I woke up at home.

Well, not home home, but at the Academy. First thing I felt was the obvious pounding of my head. God I feel like I've been hit by a train. What happened? I remember the fire, then running with Cato. Where the hell was he?

I sit up and look around the room. He's not here. I begin to wonder where the hell they could've put him. I try to stand up but then the IV that's in my arm comes out, that sets off some sort of alarm. I freeze and just stand there. What did I do?

Brutus walks in the room next. "Cain, how bout we just lay down again" I don't move.

"Where's Cato?"

"Ah why he's still in the Simulator"

"Why am I here!" I shout at him. I should be in there still!

"You suffered from extreme heat stroke, and unless you wanted to die it was best to take you out" I groan and sit down on my bed, glaring at the IV in my arm that has fluids being pumped into me.

"When do they come out?"

"They get back tonight, you can see them, or him, tomorrow, you go to training in an hour with me. We're running a quarter of the length of the Academy. Meet me at the gates. Don't be late" Brutus walks over and yanks the IV out of my arm and leaves.

I get up and go change my clothes into something cooler. Even though it is winter and the reapings will be occurring in two months, it's still not very cold here. Back before Panem, the mountains that District Two is in were called the Rocky Mountains. Though they have changed over the years, I can still look out and see the tall looming landscape. It doesn't snow much in late winter, but it's still cold out. Though I still only put on a fitted t-shirt, one, because it's my training clothes and I have too, and two, because I'll be sweating buckets by the time I finish the ten mile run. I'll only be running for an hour and ten minutes, Brutus will probably make me so faster.

;;::;;

An hour later I start off running with Brutus, he doesn't slow his pace for me, so I have to keep up. I have no choice; the occasional gleam of sunlight that reflects off of Brutus's blunt training knife reminds me of that. I slow down, I get attacked. That's one thing that's new in second year, it gets harder, no mercy. We're put in the pit with older kids and forced to fight, you only get blunt knives, or just your fists. I remember the first time it happened to me.

*Flashback*

"Halve and Tackman!" Brutus's voice echoes through the training room. I stand tall as an avox opens the gate before me and I walk down the steps into the pit. It's an actual pit in the ground, circular, where we are put to fight. The other students have a clear view on the top. I reach the bottom and see my opponent.

Boran Tackman: sixteen years old, two hundred pounds and all muscle. I've seen him fight though; he's good with his reflexes, though not the most coordinated with a knife.

I tighten my hold on my own as we circle each other. Boran is already in his defensive crouch, sizing me up. I look for an opening in him as I run my hand over the blade of my knife. Studying it, figuring out what it could do. I might be able to throw it, I know I'd hit him, but I'm not sure if it would stick. It's too blunt, it can only make semi deep cuts, highly doubtful it would hurt if it stuck in him.

I realize I've been looking down almost a moment too soon. He's only two feet away, I gather myself and then launch myself in the air, using Boran and rolling over his back, though it was a bad mistake.

Halfway over I feel his hand wrap around my ankle and I'm thrown to the ground. I slam into the cement floor and the breath is knocked out of me.

"Pathetic" he spits at me, I roll before he can slam his weight down on me. I get up and then my fist connects with his face. He cusses and his arm shoots out. The next thing I feel is a blade in me, right beside my right eye. I jerk my head back and to the left, but Boran stays with me and the blade slices my skin from where it went in all the way down the right side of my jawline. I just clench my jaw and barrel into Boran.

I'm surprised when I'm able to have him on his back with me on top. I slash him with my knife across his forehead.

The cheers of the kids watching are barely reaching my ears, the fight pulses adrenaline through me. The feeling of seeing Boran in pain gives my body a new high to go off of. It's addicting.

Because we aren't taught morals. Because what we're doing isn't wrong. It's training, it's what we do, we don't know how to do anything else. We live for the fight.

Then I feel the soles of shoes on my thighs, then I'm kicked off of Boran and crash into the wall. When I hit the ground Boran is on top of me almost instantly, my head pounding and blood still flowing from my face, blood on my hands.

And then I black out as Boran's knife elongates the cut by my eye.

*End Flashback*

My hand goes up to touch the long jagged scar that runs down the side of my face as I push myself to keep up with Brutus. I've found it's easier to keep running if you don't really think about it. I can't really feel my legs now, the feeling of them going back and forth feels machine like.

I see the gleam of the knife and look and see Brutus's hand resting on the hilt, I look up slightly and see that he's picked up the pace and I'm falling behind. I quickly adjust my stride and soon I'm flanking his left again.

"Good girl" he speaks to me like an animal. I don't say a thing.

;;::;;

Twenty four hours later I'm sitting on the couch next to Cato, who only arrived an hour before, when the door opens and Lyme, one of the older instructors and Hunger Games Victor, walks into our room. Instantly Cato and I stand up out of respect. She's a victor after all.

I look and see Brian in the doorway behind her, his face is stone like, no emotion. He's only like this when others are around. It's not the real him that only Grace, Cato, and I get to see.

"Cain Halve" Lyme addresses me, I nod and step forward. "I'm here to inform you that your parents have been hung for treason" my face remains emotionless as I nod and thank her. She turns and walks out, Brian following her, he will have to sign paperwork. When the door closes, that's when the first vase leaves my hand and shatters against the wall.

And with everything that I shatter or break, something inside me breaks with it.

And Cato doesn't even try to stop me. He just watches.

**Good, great, grand? Sorry I would've had this up earlier but I had to go to track camp. Which killed my legs, it like, hurts to walk, but oh well. I'm really pleased with this chapter. And ya, Cain's an orphan now. Poor her **

**Replies to reviews:**

**Forever9SNSD: **_lol yes, too bad Cato wasn't really focusing ;)_

**Anndashmarie: **_I can't wait till they're older, we'll have loads of fun!_

**Lou the Third: **_Yeah, the fire fear might just become a problem later on_

**Bbymojo: **_Ah, shitface and asshole, that'll never get old_

**Rue-evergreen: **_Thank you!_

**Nelle07: **_yeah, the odds aren't really in their favor..yet_

**Agethebest: **_Thank you!_

**So, I'm off to write yet another chapter! Whoot whoot! Eight reviews maybe? I think we could achieve that!**

**Mocking Verse**


	16. Chapter 16

**So, this chapter is dunna be in Cato's POV, thought I'd try it again, it's fun to write. Reponses to reviews will always be at the end now!**

**Also, people have been asking questions in their reviews, which I LOVE! So yeah, Cain's parents were part of the resistance, only a little though. It's not going to come and say that right up in the story because Cain and Cato don't know about the resistance. Her parents didn't like Snow, but they approved of the Hunger Games, just not with everything else. And in this chapter you get to see a little of what happened in the Simulator after Cain was taken out. So yeah. **

**Review!**

**Cato's POV (still year two) Three months later:**

I sat next to Cain on the couch, today was the day. We would have a victor to the 70th Hunger Games. Which why we're in our room and not training right now. The District Two male is still alive; his district partner had been killed yesterday. I look over at Cain from the corner of my eye as I half listen to Caesar and Claudius commentate on what's going on, there's nothing exciting right now.

Cain's changed though over the past three months.

A lot.

Ever since Lyme had come in and told her about her parents. At first she had just gone on a rampage, breaking everything she could. And I had let her, she needed it. Had to get it out of her system. That night she had locked me out of the bedroom, I heard her muffled sobs that night while I lay on the couch. Her sobs and her screams into her pillow.

That weekend she had gone home with Brian to look over the house. It was still theirs, Brian would move in once he was done at Academy, which was only one year left to complete. She had come back limping and with a black eye. And she had gone cold on everyone. She got pissed almost instantly now, except for with me. She was herself with me, and only me. Her relationship with Brian had even begun to fall apart. When I had asked why she was limping and had the black eye, she had just said Brian and then gone off to eat.

Something inside her had snapped.

Though she does excel in training now. She's clearly the best girl in our year. She's even beaten older kids in the pit. They've had to drag her off of kids once they're unconscious. But I can't really be a hypocrite, I'm the same way. I love fighting. Love the power I feel when you beat someone. And it's not frowned upon, it's encouraged.

The Victors had been proud of me when I came out of the Simulator. After I had beaten the daylights out of Nathan. He was annoying, complaining that the water was too warm for him. Too bad, it's all we had. For those two days after Cain had been taken out I was stuck with them, well not stuck, but they were by the water source.

I had felt unless just sitting in the sun, my skin felt like it was melting. They had even decided to make it freezing cold on the last night. Temperature dropped from about one hundred fifteen down to twenty degrees. It sucked.

Cain stiffens next to me and I look back at the screen, District Eleven and Four had run into each other and were now grappling with each other. It was the boys from each District, both of their partners had been killed, Eleven's in the bloodbath and Four when the main alliance had split. Eleven was surprisingly good this year, mostly because he was huge. He had killed three other tributes already, Four had killed six.

"Four is weak on his right side" Cain speaks up, I turn to look at her.

There's another thing I have to admit, she is beautiful. Her scar, which she makes no effort to cover up, just enhances her features. I've heard the other guys talking about her. Older guys, I've even heard some eighteen year olds. How they like her fire, how she fights. What they would do with her. That's usually when I leave the room, because I know I'd try and beat them up if I heard more. It bothers me, but she either doesn't hear them, or doesn't care. "Yeah, he is, especially when he uses his left arm for a blow" I add in what I've noticed. Four doesn't do anything to block his right side when he uses his left.

Which is prime example right now, as he lounges for Eleven with a sword in his right hand. Eleven spins to the right and brings his machete into Four's right side. A blood curdling scream fills the room as Four screams out in pain. He falls to the ground, blood pouring from his side. Then his eyes roll back into his head and the cannon sounds.

Two left.

The screen flips to show a side by side of Eleven and Naket (Neigh-kit), the tribute from Two. They're close to each other. Though everyone knows that Naket will be Victor, District Two doesn't get beat by outlying Districts. They don't matter, they're pigs. They just come in to be slaughtered; we come in with a goal, a purpose. To win. To bring honor and glory to our District.

It's more than a Game to us.

I reach over for the remote and turn the television onto mute. I don't like to hear what Claudius and Caesar have to say, Cain and I comment on what we see, we don't need petty opinions.

Naket and Eleven, whose name I didn't bother to learn or remember if I have heard it, meet in the open field that surrounds the cornucopia. It all happens so fast, that the normal viewers in the Districts and Capital probably aren't able to follow it really. Neither of the boys wait to size each other up, they both want this over with. Eleven is quick too, swinging his machete at Naket, who makes one terrible mistake.

He goes for Eleven at the same time.

The machete's course of direction quickly changes midway along its path. And then it's driven into Naket's chest. He falls to his knees, kneeling before an outer District tribute. Even if he does win, he just lost all the honor, you don't kneel before a rat. I unmute the television.

"I always knew it would be me and you" Naket growls, his breathing come fast and shallow as the blade is still in him. He lost, where the sword is, when it's pulled out he'll internally bleed to death in a matter of minutes. "But I want you to know. I had a family, I had a home." He stares Eleven down in the face, doing exactly what we are taught.

If you're being killed, you look your killer in the eyes so that you'll haunt them forever. You make sure they know exactly how many people their death is affecting. You keep talking until you can't do it anymore.

"I had a girl, she's waiting back there for me, I had promised to win for her. You know what's bad though? She's pregnant" That's when Eleven can't take it anymore. When he pulls the blade out and Naket falls to the ground and Eleven finally drives the blade back into him and then, the gong sounds. Cain switches off the television.

Naket hadn't been lying; he had gone in with someone else's partner, because he was indeed pregnant with his child, who would now grow up fatherless.

Neither Cain nor I say anything, because we know this isn't good. District Eleven just beat District Two. That is unacceptable. Unheard of. We both know what's going to happen.

Training is about to get much, much harder.

**Hurray two updates in two days! Haven't done that in a while! Also I was thinking of all the two character name things like Peetniss, Clato, Garvel, ext. and I was like OMG CAIN AND CATO then it sucked because you can't really do that with them. It's like Cain or Cato, I guess you could do Cait, but, that's stupid. Oh well **

**Responses (THANKS SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING I LOVE YOU ALL!):**

**Rue-Evergreen: **_thanks! And ya, stuff for her hasn't been going very well_

**Lou the Third: **_yea, poor Cain. But Cato is still there ;)_

**Angel2u: **_yeah, I really hadn't planned that it just kinda came out while I was writing. I figured since Cain's father was such a good guy he wouldn't really approve of Snow's grasp on the Districts, though they don't mind the Games since they grew up with them themselves. _

**BreeBree12345: **_Thanks!_

**Bbymojo: **_HOLY CRAP THAT'S A LONG REVIEW I LOVE IT! And thanks so much for the compliments! Ya I didn't think that Cato and sappy went together, or District Two and sappy. So it's not like they're instant bff's. and yea, I plan on using shitface and asshole for the rest of the story, it's their thing!_

**Thanks everyone, PLEASE REVIEW FOR CATO'S SAKE!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Three for three! I'm on a roll! Whoop whoop! Enjoyith this chapter! Then we're into year three next chapter and then four chapters later we're into year four and THAT'S when the fun starts! HURRA!**

Cain's POV:

I stand next to Cato as we watch the new kids get their partners. It's different this year though, they get their partners and go back to the crowd to wait, we're being told the changes to Academy today. Once the last pair is made, the Victors that train here all come on stage.

Brutus, Enobaria, Lyme, Gild, Quincy, Jyraid, and Couver.

Jyraid comes up first, she's not very tall, but she unstoppable with a spear, she won five years ago at the age of eighteen. She speaks first. "As you all know, we got beat by District Eleven this year." She pauses, "That" She takes a deep breath, "is UNACCETPABLE!" her fist pounds on the podium and the younger kids all stiffen. "We do not get beat by an _outlying _district, not in the final two" She's fuming. "As a result of this, we have decided to make some changes. After this, all tributes years two to six will be required to go to the training room, we will assess you. If you fail, you're out of Academy. If you pass, you stay. Also from now on, you don't get to leave training until you win a fight, or dismissed. We train Monday through Friday now, from seven to nine." I feel slightly surprised, that's two hours longer than usual. I look around to see other kid's reactions. My gaze locks with Brian's from across the room.

My eyes narrow at him as we both look away. Things haven't been the same between us since we both went home for that weekend after we were told of our parents. He had attacked me, gotten pissed that they barely had left us any of our old things. I had just gone up and put a hand on his shoulder. Said it didn't really matter, he went off on that. Had me pinned against the wall in mere seconds. He had only gotten one good punch in, sacking me in the eye, before I slipped out of his grasp. He had lounged and grabbed a hold of my leg, twisting it until there was a sharp pop and I was left on the floor.

He had come back later, said he was sorry, that he didn't mean all the things he had shouted at me, but I didn't trust him. But I wouldn't let him touch me, no one was allowed, not unless they had permission or we were fighting. Only Cato could, because he helped me.

;;::;;

An hour later I'm standing with two trainers circling me, checking what I looked like. If I am attractive enough to stay. Good looking tributes get sponsors. Cato already passed, of course he did. They'd be blind if they said he was ugly. Even a little bit, he's anything but. One man moves towards me to feel my arm, I turn abruptly so he can't.

"Don't touch" I growl.

"She passes" the other man says, I smirk and keep going. Next we show off our skills, I look over and see Cato slicing dummies with a machete, it's his secondary weapon now. He has almost perfect precision. Not quite though, he still messes up, but so do I.

I walk over and pick up a knife, holding it in a loose hold and then let it fly. It sticks just centimeters away from the kill point. I take another and throw again, still off. I hear people whispering and take another knife, this time I'm inches off.

"Losing ya touch there Halve." Someone yells, I can tell it's one of the younger kids. But he sets me off and before I can think of what I'm doing, I've turned and thrown my knife in his way. I stand stock still as I look and see the owner of the voice on the ground, a knife in his neck. He's dead.

I just killed a boy.

And I don't feel a thing. Everyone has stopped now, staring at me. I glare at them as I walk over to his body. I pull my knife out from his, his blood covers the blade.

"Anyone else want to make any damn commentary" I ask smoothly as I wipe the blood off of the blade using my shirt. No one answers. "Good, I'm not losing my touch either" I sneer as I go and place the knife back from where I took it. I look up when I hear footsteps and see Enobaria standing in front of me. She gives me a sadistic smile, her gold tipped teeth glistening in the light.

"You're dismissed, you passed" she says, I nod and start for my room. In the hallway I'm almost to the stairs when I hear someone yell my name.

"Halve!" I turn and see a boy, he's sixteen, coming towards me. He's not very tall, but he's well built, muscled. "Come'ere" he says as he steps closer. I turn away.

"No thanks" I grin, but he grabs my wrist, spins me around and then I'm pressed against the wall. My hands held above my head so I can't fight him.

"That wasn't a question" he whispers huskily in my ear, it sends shivers down my spine as he pulls back to look me in the eyes. I like it.

"Couldn't tell" I say, never breaking my gaze away from his brown eyes.

"We should see each other again sometime; I'm Mico, by the way"

"Sure" I agree, he smirks at me.

"Room 728," he tells me, then he puts his lips right by my ear again, he tousled black hair skims my face, "See ya soon, I know your room number already" he tells me, then presses his lips to my jaw before he lets me go and walks away.

I turn and continue to the stairwell and up to my room. I replay what just happened in my head with Mico, I've never been kissed before, even if it was just on the jaw. And then I think of Cato, and as I do, my stomach feels like it's in knots. I have no clue why, I'm not used to feeling emotions. I felt nothing seeing the boy I had killed; I don't even know what his name was. But I do feel something when I think of Cato, and I don't like it.

**Ya ya I know it's short, but hey some short chapters are the better chapters right? This was mostly just a filler and an introduction to Mico, who will now be making pretty frequent appearances. **

**Replies: **

**Lou the Third: **_thanks, I might be doing more Cato POV later on_

**Angel2u: **_yup _

**Rue-Evergreen: **_oh my God I read that you recommended me and I swear you would've loved the happy dance that I did, it like made my whole entire day!_

**CatoGryffindor23**_ thanks!_

**Lilangelb412: **_thanks for reading! and the compliments!_

**Bbymojo: **_haha thanks!_

**Please review! Oh and also..what do you guys think of the new cover?**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm like, on fire..I have way too much free time, but I highly doubt you guys are complaining XD. Here's another one….i should really work on my other story sometime…oh well. I apologize in advance, this chapter is really short. **

Two months later, Cain's POV:

I get up when there's a knock on the door, I know its Mico. He's the only one who usually knocks. We've been…seeing each other I guess you could call it. We spend a lot of time together. Though he hasn't met Cato, the two don't sit well together in my mind. If I think of Cato while with Mico then my stomach knots, so I just try not to. Though if I'm with Cato and think of Mico, nothing happens. It's Saturday, so we have the day off from training.

"Bye Cato" I say simply as I take a step towards the door, but he catches my wrist, I whirl around to face him, my fist raised. But he stands and catches it before I can do anything.

"Who is it." He's not asking either.

"A friend" I say simply, Cato scoffs.

"You don't have friends Cain" he deadpans. I give him a small smile.

"I do now" With that I jerk away from him and go to the door. "I'll be back later" I tell him, then slip out and close the door before Cato can get there, I grab Mico's hand. "Come on, he may be coming" I look over at Mico and he grins.

"Okay" he says and kisses my cheek quickly before we take off running down the hallway so Cato can't follow us.

We end up where we usually do, running outside. We train together, extra training. It helps too, since we're fighting other tributes a lot more often than previous years. There's less tributes here due to cuts, about a quarter of what we had before. Which has made it so Academy can afford new training machines. More dummies, more obstacle courses, renovations to the trainer's quarters. As we're running I get an idea, so I slow down a little so I'm behind Mico. Then I jump on his back.

"What the-" he says before I cover his mouth with my hands and kiss his cheek. He falls to the ground and then rolls so he's on top of me; his legs on either side of me, pinning me to the ground. "I win" he tells me smugly.

"I let you win, plus I wasn't really trying" Mico moves his face closer to mine; I can feel his breath on my face, on my lips.

"You sure you weren't?" he whispers roughly

"Positive" I grin and then feel his lips on mine. He's stolen my first kiss, and I don't really mind that. I press my lips to his as he positions his hands on either side of my head. It's not sweet though, not at all. It's sloppy and has no real emotion behind it. After a few minutes he pulls away.

"I love you" he says, and I stiffen.

"No, no you don't" I tell him, "you don't even know me" he puts his lips back on mine again quickly

"m'kay" He gets up and offers me his hand, I take it and he helps me to my feet. We turn around and start to walk back to my room. Mico holds my hand the whole way back. "Who's in your family?" he asks, and I'm generally surprised he's making an effort to get to know me.

"Myself and my brother Brian"

"What about your parents?" he asks

"Dead" I say simply, that promptly ends our get to know you session. We just walk back in silence, it's awkward, but we both ignore it. Mico just squeezes my hand and I look up at him, he grins and I grin back. He leans in and kisses me quickly on the lips. I grin again at him.

"So, what are we?" he asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask. He holds up our hands.

"What's this?"

_Oh._

"I don't know, what do you want it to be?" I raise an eyebrow at him. He smirks.

"Girlfriend?" he asks

"Sure" I smile, he kisses me again while we walk.

"Good, I'm allowed to do that now"

;;::;;

Mico stops me outside the door to my room; slowly he backs me against the wall. I hit it with a rather loud thud as I trip over my own feet. Mico chuckles at me.

"I'll miss you" he says into my ear

"Sure you will" I tease, he pulls back and has a mock-hurt look on his face.

"I _will_" he insists. "Cause I won't be able to do this" He leans in and presses his lips to mine; I kiss him back and feel his hands go on my waist. We don't hear the door open. Mico bites my lip and smirks into my lips, I start to kiss his harder when suddenly he's pulled back. I open my eyes to see him being held up, a forearm pressed to his throat.

Cato has him pinned on the wall.

"What the fuck are you doing!" He snarls. This isn't good.

**Ohhhh cliffy! Yeah haven't done one of those in a while. Anywho, I'll reply to your reviews next chapter! Please Review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, so there's a poll on my profile. And I am going to calmly ask..WILL Y'ALL PLEASE GO AND VOTE! I know it's weird but I can't tell you what it's for cause it gives away a HUGE part of the story, but I like NEED you to vote, please, for Cato. Y'all do anything for Cato right? I know I do. **

**Also..in other's news in the life of me..i've convinced my parents that I'm actually friends with Alexander Ludwig..they don't know who he is. But it's kinda funny since for my mobile twitter instead of twitter I put it under Xander, so when they're like who ya texting and its twitter (which I get messages when Xander tweets) I'm like oh it's my friend Xander. It's pretty great. Hahaha **

**Anywho, enjoy the chapter, it's getting late but what the hell why not stay up three hours later than usual and write a chapter, it's summer anyways! Enjoy!**

Cain's POV (God I almost said Can):

"_What the fuck are you doing!" He snarls. This isn't good._

Out of all the things I expect Mico, my boyfriend might I add, to do, the last thing on the list is to laugh. And that's just what he does. Right. In. Cato's. Face.

If the situation was with two other people, meaning, not two who are trained killers. I might've face palmed myself, but I didn't.

"I was kissing my _girlfriend_" Mico says, I guess Cato's not trying very hard with cutting off his airways.

"Your what?" Cato spits out

"Girlfriend, didn't you hear me or is your hearing off" and that's when Mico had gotten himself punched in the face. I'm not really sure what to do in this situation, so I thought, what would I do if I were in the Games. Obviously, save that's what I did; I turned around and just walked into my room, leaving Cato to beat Mico to a pulp, if he can. Which I strongly think he can accomplish.

Cato's POV:

I'm in a blind rage, my fists doing all the work as I beat the guy up. Don't even know who he is, I don't care who he is. He was kissing Cain. That's a good enough reason for me to beat him up. He lets me for a while, and I'm starting to wonder why he's not fighting back, that's before I'm swung through the air and crash into the wall. Then he's on top of me, his knee firmly on my jugular. I start to gag and he sneers.

"Petty" his fist connects with my eye socket "little" another punch "boy" I catch his fist and roll over, I get a good whack at his nose. He grunts as I hear a sharp pop before locking his arms around my torso and flipping us both over so he's on top again. I draw my head back and then drive my forehead into his, we both groan.

Nobody wins with a headbutt.

The guy stands up and glares down at me. "Don't get in my way again" that's all he says before limping away.

**I know, I'm a terrible person! I leave you guys for a while and you get this in response and it's short and it's crappy and it sucks in general! Ahhh I hate myself :[ **

**But this past Tuesday I went with my friend to her riding lesson at this huge barn and my mom came. Well my mom liked the place and we've been looking to move my horse, so then Friday I had a lesson there on my friends horse and we decided to move my horse there. And the trainer is like you can come on Sunday. So then all Saturday I had to pack up my stuff from my old barn, Sunday we moved him over there. Monday I was there most of the day, so I've been pretty busy. I actually sat down to write a few times though, then with me having a short attention span I got distracted since I had writers block on what to do. So yeah, next chapter will be better and longer!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm a terrible person! I know I forgot to respond to you guys! I hate myself I'm so sorry! You all get hugs from Cato! I don't know if I replied to chapter 17 reviewers but I will now. AND OH before I forget..again..you all should vote in the poll on my profile if you haven't already, it's for this story! I won't tell you what it's for, because that would ruin things, but it's super important, trust me!**

**Lou the Third: **_thanks for reviewing, and, I guess Cato tried beating him to nothingness, but that didn't really work _

**NorthViking: **_hey thanks for da review! And wow, a movie recommendation. I should like tweet alexander Ludwig be like hey would you act as Cato in this XD_

**Rue-Evergreen: **_thankies for the reviews..i love you_

**Shades-Soul: **_ A pissed Cato is worse than like…everything else._

**BooBerry301: **_WOW Cain can be girly sometimes..I never imagined. Lol_

**Bbymojo: **_lol who the hell is mico? That made me laugh. _

**Angel2u: **_yeah, I figured that was a good thing, pissed cato is always fun._

**And to a guest whose comment I can't see but I read it in an email and loved it: **_thank you! That's like, the best compliment ever!_

**Well, I hope y'all like this chapter..it has some Cato/Cain fluff, well, as close to fluff as Cato and Cain will get to, but I hope you like it. Oh and news in my life, I have a new favorite music artist! Go listen to Hunter Hayes! He's amazing! (but not as amazing as Josh and Xander) his songs are great! So enjoy!**

**Third person POV *month later*:**

It's eleven at night and Cato's getting worried. She's not back yet, training ended hours ago. He stops his pacing for a second to take a calming breath, she'll be here soon. She has to be, it's Wednesday, and they have training again in the morning.

_But she's never been this late_

That's what a voice inside his head tells him. Sure she's stayed with that fucktard Mico after training before, but never this late. They're usually in bed by now. She didn't even come back to eat. She didn't even tell him she'd be late.

Cato runs a hand through his hair, he grabs something off the little table in the small, short hallway and seconds later it shatters again the wall. He's nervous, and he's worried, and he doesn't know why. He shouldn't care; it shouldn't bother him that she's not here.

But it does.

After ten minutes he can't take it anymore, he doesn't even put shoes on; he goes out the door of their apartment barefoot and starts jogging down the hallway, looking for her.

;;::;;

Cain kisses Mico goodnight as she leaves his room. She doesn't even say goodbye to Vaka, Mico's partner. As she starts her way down the hallway towards the stairs Mico closes the door.

Once she's on the stairwell Cain stops, contemplating on where to go. She should go back to her room, it's almost ten. But she doesn't, she takes the stairs up, the opposite direction from her room. And she doesn't stop going up until she just comes to a door. She pushes it open, and as she sees the view before her, a small grin plays on her lips.

She's on top of the Academy.

Cain walks forwards, letting the door slam closed behind her. She walks forwards to the railing on the roof, placing her hands on it as she looks out. Even in the darkness of night she can make out the towering shadows of the mountains that make her feel so small. The mountains that surround District Two. The spotlights from the quarry light up the mountainside.

It makes District Two look like a nice place, a settlement in the mountains, in the oxygen rich air. Like a peaceful place. It makes Cain laugh out loud, her District is not peaceful, her people, she herself, are anything but peaceful. We train to kill people, we're raised to fight. Cain was born to fight, to kill, and to win.

And she doesn't even think killing is wrong. She looks at it differently, more dangerously. She's not murdering. She's just making the inevitable happen sooner rather than later. The people who die at her hand would have died later anyways.

Cain sits down, placing her hands a few feet behind herself and leaning back on them, staring up at the mountain shadows. It's nice up here, more air to breathe, nobody else taking it up. Her eyes close as she lets her head roll back, she empties her mind. Not thinking about anything, not worrying. Not worrying about Mico, or Cato, or about her consistently aching muscles.

And she's never felt so peaceful.

;;::;;

He's looked everywhere. He went down to the training room, it was empty, he went to the café, she wasn't there, and he even went to Mico's room. The boy said she left hours ago. Cato goes to the stairwell, his thoughts overwhelmed thinking of where Cain could be, so much so that he doesn't notice when he goes the wrong way. Up the stairs instead of down.

When he reaches the top door that leads onto the roof he doesn't know how he got here. He doesn't even know if he's allowed to go up here, but Cato's not one for following the rules, so he pushes the door open.

He steps outside and lets the door close behind him, it doesn't slam, but the thud echoes. Cato looks ahead to see a figure by the edge, sitting down looking out. He can't tell that it's her yet; all he can see is a silhouette of her shape against the quarry spotlights. But he has a hunch that it's her.

As he steps closer slowly he can tell it is her, and relief washes over him.

And she hears him. In her peaceful state she can hear the thud of footsteps, the thud of someone who's trying to walk quietly who won't ever be able too, just do to their size. And in her happiness that she's found up here, she finds the situation completely hysterical. So she bursts out laughing.

And it feels so good, so good to laugh. Truly laugh at something. She hasn't laughed in forever, at least not in the past three years.

Cato stops when she starts to laugh. He's never heard her laugh before. Then she just starts outright guffawing at him; head thrown back and shoulders shaking. And the sight in so unreal to Cato, so unexpected for how he's been feeling for the past hour looking for her, that he joins in.

And they both laugh, they laugh at the world, they laugh at their lives. At this sad, sick, twisted situation that they're in, and they don't even think it's sick or twisted in the slightly.

Soon Cain's on her back, looking up at Cato smiling, tears streaming down her face, as Cato smiles back. He's stopped laughing, they both have, and she's just trying to breathe again. Cato moves to sit beside her, and they both look out over their District.

Well, Cato does, Cain stares up at the stars. She points them out to him, asking if he ever looks at them. When he says no, she takes his shirt and pulls him back so he's lying beside her, staring up at the stars as well. And she points certain stars out to him, she shows him how some connect to make symbols, constellations she calls them.

And at somepoint during the night, their positions change. Her head on his stomach, his hand absently mindly playing with her hair. And she doesn't mind. It feels right, it feels natural, being with Cato. Because they've never let anyone else see these sides of them. The real them. Not the ruthless students. The killers in training. Just them.

And after that, going to the roof becomes a nightly ritual for the two, no matter what, they always go there, always end up there. Her head on his stomach, his hand in her hair. And their bond becomes stronger.

**Yes I know, I really liked this chapter! I got the idea today while at work. It's a bit of a filler but it's nice, I think. One more year three chapter then year four! Whoot whoot! Please review, I love reviews and we're almost at 100! That's like..freaking amazing! Love y'all! **

**Mocking Verse**


	21. Chapter 21

**So, while I've been sulking on how I can't go to Comic Co, which sucks, it really does, sucks ass. If any of you guys go then I'm very jealous of you. Wish I could, but sadly, I live on the other side of the country. Bahhhh. Also some news, as you know, well if you read these where I rant to you guys cause I can, I moved my horse to a new barn. It's huge like the property as 134 acres. So with that, I never thought that I would 'loose' my horse. Like, yesterday, I spent thirty minutes looking for him. I was like, where's my horse. Cause he wasn't in his stall and he wasn't in his pasture cause he's only out to pasture half day for now. So I had to go ask someone, let me tell you, it's very embarrassing going up to someone and you're like "uh hey do you know where my horse is?" very embarrassing. **

**Oh and I got one of my tweets retweeted by Lionsgate yesterday! I was like OMG OMG OMG YESSSS! I was estatic. Anywho enjoy the chapter and I remembered to do a disclaimer this time!**

**Disclaimer: I own the HG…..no I wish though. Suzanne Collins does. I don't own Cato either…she does. I don't own Alexander Ludwig either, just so you know, he owns himself. Though I wouldn't mind meeting him, or hugging him…or kissing him….okay you get the picture XD. I do own Cain though, so don't you lay a finger on her! **

**OH AND as clarification, we are now in year four! Whoot whoot! Ya I didn't do a chapter for year three simulator because I didn't want to, but you'll hear how it went **

Cain's POV *During second month of year four..so it's like…July*:

I can't look him in the eyes anymore. I don't know why, I just can't. Whenevery my eyes lock with Cato's, it's hard to look away. My stomach tightens up, not in a bad way, but it makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm not supposed to have emotions, I don't feel things. Not even with Mico, who has being turning into quiet the asshole. He's out of here next year anyways, so I'm probably going to break up with him soon anyways, like, today.

Which, leads me to where I am now. In front of his apartment door, knocking on it. I'm not really sure how to do this. What I'm supposed to say. Whether I can punch him or not, because really, that would be fun.

Beating people up is fun. It actually improves my mood. As does watching them be hurt.

I'm pulled from my thoughts as the door opens and Mico is there, in all his six foot two glory. It's sad really, when he and Cato are next to each other. Cato's like, six foot five, and not even done growing yet.

"Hey babe" Mico smiles and moves aside so I can come in, I don't.

"It's over, this thing, us, we're over" I say, well that wasn't too hard. Mico shrugs.

"Okay" and then he shuts the door in my face. And then I want my fist to be in his face. Too bad I can't bust the door in. Cato can, we tried it out before. Which is why the door that leads to our bedroom is nonexistent now. Cato was proud of himself. And I was proud of Cato.

I turn and make my way up to the roof, it's almost meeting time.

As I climb the stairs I can feel myself letting down my own wall to myself with each step. I'm myself with Cato; I don't need to act all tough and badass. I pick up my pace a little, jogging up the steps then resorting to doing a stair exercise. Jumping up the steps on one foot, helps keep me in shape, though I'm always in shape with training.

Training is hard. As always, the many scars and bruises on my back and arms are proof of that. I reach out for the doorknob and see the long scar that runs from my wrist all the way up my arm to past my shoulder and down my back. A lovely little gift from our year three simulator, where they had made sure to make the little monkey mutts look as innocent as possible.

Damn monkeys, I shudder at the thought of them.

I open the door and walk out onto the roof. I quickly scan the empty rooftop, he's not here yet. My heart feels like a weight is put on it. I mentally scold myself. Dammit I saw him last when, like, three hours ago.

I so busy mentally scolding myself I don't hear him come up. So when I feel large arms wrap around my waist and lift me up I scream. Then I hear the husky laugh behind me.

"CATO!" I squeal, he just laughs more before putting me down, I sit down and he sits next to me. I turn and mock glare at him. He grins.

"Sorry?" he asks, I don't react and he raises an eyebrow, it causes my hair to fall in my face. Cato reaches forward and pushes it back behind my ear, where his skin touches mine my face feels like it's on fire. "I'm really really sorry?" he tries again. I huff and look forwards.

"Fine"

"So, how was your boy?" he asks awkwardly.

"For your information shitface, we broke up" I look at him for his reaction, he grins.

"Good going asshole, he get fed up with ya, have to admit, he lasted longer than I expected." I slap Cato

"Ha ha very funny. You love me and you know it"

"Sure, keep telling yourself that asshole" Cato stretches his legs out in front of him, which has become my cue; I lie down and lay my head in his lap. His hand soon finds my hair and he twirls it around his finger.

"So, you know when you're going home this year?"

"Ya, I was thinking next weekend" he looks up at the mountains and I feel my face fall a little. I hate it when he leaves.

"Oh" is all I say. He looks down at me and his eyebrows scrunch together.

"What's wrong?" he asks softly, I shake my head.

"Nothing" I say looking away from his eyes. His hand comes forward and he grabs my chin, then makes me look at him.

"Cain, what's wrong? If you don't want me to go-"

"I don't care if you go!" I lie, cutting him off.

"Yes you do" he says, anger seeping into his voice. I sit up and swat his hand away, I get up to my feet and walk to the edge of the roof.

"I don't" I say firmly. I try to make it so my voice doesn't waver. Because I know I do care, but he can't know that. He can't know that I have feelings for him, hell, he can't know I have feelings in general. But he already does, because of these trips to the roof. When we let our guards down. When we let each other into our lives. He can't know that when he's gone I can't help but stay awake all night. Because I can't fall asleep if I don't know he's safe, if he's not nearby. I don't flinch when his hand takes my shoulder and spins me around to look at him. When his face sees mine it goes from angry to confusion, then something I can't place. His hand comes up and touches my cheek; he pulls his hand back and looks at it. His finger is wet. I'm crying. I've never cried before, not ever in my life. I've come close when I was little, but I was told to suck it up. Why do I have to cry now, and in front of him. I look down and take a shaky breath.

"Cain" Cato whispers, and then I'm wrapped in his arms as he holds me close to his chest. His head rests on top of mine. I grab onto his shirt as my stupid tears won't stop and they soak his shirt. "Now I know you're lying" he whispers. And then, with him being caring, and talking to me like I'm not brutal, not a killer. With him being comforting, something I've never had before. I tell him.

"I can't take it when you're gone." My voice cracks, "I can't sleep, when I know you're not there." There's silence for a while afterwards. But I'm shocked at what he proposes to me.

"Then come with me" I pull back and look at him with a confused face, his hand comes up to my face again, wiping away more tears. "Come home with me"

**Oohhhh yes! I liked this chapter too! Hahaha. I hope I got the point across of just how much they open up to each other now, that's what the point of this chapter was anyways. So hopefully that got across. And HOPEFULLY we get our 100****th**** review! When we do I'll give you guys a little hint on what's dunna happen later in the story! Hehehe some of you might not like it, but oh well. Please review!**

**Lou the Third: **_thanks! Stronger bonds will come in handy later!_

**Rue-Evergreen: **_haha thanks and ya now we're in year four, which will have like..four or five chapters!_

**Booberry301: **_I like responding to comments! Even if I forget to sometimes._

**Sadiera: **_oh my god I loved your review! I was like oh my god big words! Lol but thanks that meant a lot to me!_

**Guest(s): **_not really sure if you're the same person since it's for different chapters but thanks!_


	22. Chapter 22

**Woah I decided to update! Go me! So, my interesting rant for today. I was riding my bike, and I kinda accidently cut this person off who was in a car, but they weren't moving, they were at a stop sign. So I go in front and go to wave cause I'm like oh they let me by. Nope, they flip me off. I was like whoaaaaa there buddy what crawled up your ass and died? But whatever, my friend found the whole story quiet funny. I was like oh yes it was grand. Oh well. And I messed up…like…big time. I forgot how old Brian was He's not in Academy anymore, forgot about that, so yeah, sorry.**

**Disclaimer: Bang! (omg do any of you play animal crossing and the insurance guy who annoys the shit outta me and he's always like BANG! You know him? Ya, just thought of him…) Anywho, I don't own this story, I don't own most of the characters, I don't own the Hunger Games. But I do own Cain, and Brian, and my shitty bike that's in the garage. Suzanne Collins owns the HG and her characters.**

**AND OH forgot to say this but y'all find this funny. For each of you I picture you as what I think you look like based on your username it's pretty funny. For example. Lou the Third, idk why but I just picture you as like a king. Oh well, so just so you know, you all have faces to me. Ya that doesn't sound creepy at all.**

Third Person POV (I may be doing this more often, I like this better):

She's still not sure if she should be going with him, but he's assured her that it'll be fine. She pulls the navy blue shirt over her head and heads out to the living room area of their apartment, where Cato sits watching the TV.

"You ready?" Cato asks looking over at her. His eyes involuntarily travel up and down her body. She's a pretty girl. A very, very beautiful girl; he's been reminded of that by his lower half more than a few times. Cain just shrugs, not noticing how Cato looks at her.

"Ready as I'll ever be" Cato chuckles and stands up, they don't need to pack any bags. He has clothes at home, and Cain insists that she can walk to her house in the morning and get some. They both walk to the door and take their dog tags off of their place by the door and put them around their necks. It's required they wear them at all times while outside their apartment. Even at home. As soon as the door closes behind the two, their walls go up. They become the brutal, violent children that District Two is infamous for.

They walk down the hallway side by side. Cato's face takes on his signature smirk as the younger year kids automatically get out of their way. Cain's face remains impassive; she doesn't thrive on the feeling of power as much as Cato does. Given, she does relish it, but she doesn't show that outwardly like her partner.

The younger year kids look up to the two as they walk past. Cato Harrison and Cain Halve are two of the most well-known tributes in the Academy. Top of their class. Brutal, violent, unforgiving. They know of Cain killing the younger boy last year when she got pissed. They also can tell that Cato could probably snap someone's neck with his bare hands by the size of his arms. Given, they are also known that they don't get along with each other.

No one knows that behind closed doors they're practically best friends.

The infamous pair make their way to the front gates of the Academy. There they are met by a group of peacekeepers. "What's your business here?" One demands.

"Weekend leave" Cato answers simply.

"Both of you?" Cato just nods; they remove the dog tags from their necks and slide the one with their tribute barcode through the slot in the wall. As they put their dog tags back on the time they are to be back by appears on the screen above the slot they inserted they dog tags in. Ten o'clock by Sunday evening. It's only about nine thirty on Friday now. They had decided to leave right after training. They are still sore; Cato had noticed Cain was still limping as well.

They wait till they're a few hundred feet away from the gates to speak.

"Did you run water over your leg?" he asks, anyone looking on wouldn't be able to tell he was worried for her.

"Yes" Cain says simply, no emotion in her voice. They walk in silence, Cain following Cato as he leads her towards the wealthier part of District Two, which is farther away from the quarries, it's not as loud there. "You live in this part of the District?" she asks him.

"Yeah, it's about ten more minutes till we get there." He says, "Just, my father is a little strict" he warns her. It may be the understatement of the year. Cato just hopes Terra and Balik aren't as beat up and bruised as they were last year when he visited. Terra will be coming into the Academy next year; Balik will be in his first year during Cato's final year.

The two walk down the stoned street, getting glances from citizens who are still outside at this hour. It's unusual to see kids their ago outside of Academy. The people like to see how the Academy is doing; the only way to do that is to look at the kids who are out on weekend leave.

They cut through a back alleyway quickly before they come out on a different street. Cain's been here before, when she was younger. It was during a street fight, which is common between the two social classes of District Two. That's another thing that is unusual for her and Cato's relationship; they come from different classes. Though that's been blended together by the Academy, the fights are more common between the kids not yet in Academy or those who have already gotten out. The kids on leave also participate, the high they get from fighting feels too good to pass up. She doesn't mention the various fights she's had here to Cato; most likely he was who she was fighting.

Minutes later Cato stops outside a door, he turns to Cain and nods. This is his house. Cato digs in his pants pocket until his hand finds the key; he takes it out and puts it in the lock. He unlocks the front door and the door glides open effortlessly.

Cato steps in first and Cain follows, closing the door behind them before she follows him up the stairs. At the top of the stairs Cato places his key on top of a granite table and continues further into his house. He's not even sure if his parents are home, let only his siblings.

"Cato? Is that you?" a female voice rings out through the house, Cato instantly recognizes it as his mother. He makes his way through the house and into the living room, with Cain following close behind.

_What if they don't like me? _The thought crosses Cain's mind for an instant before she realizes; she doesn't care. Cain walks into the family's living room and the first thing she notices is how _nice _it looks. A carpet that is a deep crème color is underneath her feet, the walls are smoothly painted a soft green. The windows look out unto District Two and are lined by blue curtains. Two black leather couches are in the room, placed with a coffee table between them and a television mounted on the wall. Just this room puts Cain's whole house to ultimate shame.

Cain then turns her attention to the people in the room itself. A lady, who appears to be in her mid-thirties, is sitting on one of the couches. By her long blonde hair Cain presumes that she must be Cato's mother. She has sharp features; high cheekbones even toned skin. She is a beautiful woman. She appears to be friendly as well. The other person in the room Cain assumes to be Cato's father. He's shorter than Cato, though his eyes are also blue, the same shade as Cato's. He has dark brown hair that falls almost over his eyes. He also sits on the couch, that is, until he notices Cato's presence in the room. He stands up and walks over, eyeing Cain carefully.

"Who is she?" the man's deep voice surprises Cain, though she doesn't show it, her face is as blank as a rock. Unreadable. He circles Cain, studying her.

"My partner" Cato's answer is simple and to the point.

Cato's father stops in front of Cain and looks her in the eyes. "You your family's first born?" he asks. Cain doesn't answer right away, thinking of why he's asking her this. She takes too long to answer though, because soon a strong hand is colliding with the side of her face as Cato's father slaps her. She doesn't flinch, she doesn't make a sound. But Cato does.

The sixteen year old turns and glares at his father, grabbing his wrist. "Don't you ever _touch _her again" he growls. How dare his father touch her, slap his partner.

"She didn't answer the question"

"No sir" Cain finally decides she should say something, "I have one older brother, he graduated last year."

"Good enough" Cato's father goes back and sits on the couch as his spouse comes over and hugs her son.

"It's so good to see you Cato" she murmurs. Cain watches confused. How did she end up with Cato's father? After letting go of her son Cato's mother turns to Cain, she holds out her hand. "I'm Ella, Cato's mother."

Cain reaches her hand out and shakes her hand. "Cain Halve" she introduces herself.

"Are you staying with us this weekend?"

"Yes ma'am"

"You two should get to bed, it's late, we'll talk in the morning" Cato's father suddenly interrupts. The two just nod and Cain follows Cato down a hallway. They go into a bedroom that Cain assumes is Cato's, she looks around and notices the walls are a deep red; she chuckles slightly after Cato closes the door.

"What?" he smirks at her.

"You had said you don't have a favorite color before"

"What?" Cato repeats, Cain sighs, he won't understand.

"Nothing, so, where am I sleeping?" she asks watching as Cato takes off his shirt. She can't help but stare for a little bit. She has to admit, he is good to look at. Cato shrugs as he tosses his shirt to the corner.

"Not like we haven't slept together before" He secretly hopes she won't object to this. And he's rewarded when she just shrugs and then plops down on his bed. It's a big bed, plenty of room for two people, but Cain just sprawls out, taking up the whole thing. She smirks. "Move" Cato demands half-heartedly at her, she doesn't. He goes over and pushes her so she rolls onto one side before he moves and gets in. She does the same so they're at the opposite ends. Soon they both drift off to sleep.

Though when Cain wakes up in the middle of the night, she chuckles slightly at their position. They've both rolled together while they were asleep, Cato's left arm is slung over Cain's waist, his other somehow under her so that he's holding her close to him. Her head is on his chest, and her right leg is hitched up on his hips, her legs entangled with his. And surprisingly, she doesn't mind at all. She just drifts off to sleep, and in the first time in years, doesn't have a nightmare.

**Bam! Yeah! 100 REVIEWS! HIZAA! THE HEAVENS HAVE OPENED! Lol no, but here's your hint, well kinda ish. **

**Hint: I hope you guys don't care about Prim too much ;) She'll come in way later! **

**Mocking Verse**


	23. Chapter 23

**I KNOW YOU ALL HATE ME! Ahhh I'm so so so so sorry! I went on vacation the past week and I forgot to tell you guys! I feel like such a mean person! But don't worry! I've come up with ideas! Mostly for new stories but some for this one too! But I have big, big, big news! I SAW ALEXANDER LUDWIG! YES BE JEALOUS I SAW HIM! Didn't talk to him but I saw him in a car with his mom and sister! I was in the cape and he was too and I was looking out the window like the loser I am, no I'm awesome, and this car pulled up beside us and Xander was in the passenger seat! I had like, a total fangirl moment right in the car! AND he had a sleeveless shirt on which just made it all the more better! I saw like IT'S XANDER! Oh it made my day, it would've made my life if I got to talk to him, but hey, I wasn't going to roll down the window and scream at him..that'd be rude. But I saw him for like, two minutes! Then his mom drove faster It was great though! AND have you guys seen the picture of himself he tweeted? It's to DIE for! **

**No, he's not naked or anything, but he's in a tight fitting black shirt and I LOVE IT! Anyways, on with the story! You'll LOVE THIS CHAPTER I gave you all a gift since I didn't tell you I was leaving..by the way on Thursday I'm going to Texas and won't be back till Tuesday, so yeah, I told y'all bout that one ;)**

**Random Disclaimer:**

**I saw Alexander Ludwig, I own a horse, I own two dogs, one of them I'm convinced is retarded, I'm sarcastic twenty four seven, it helps so people don't know when I'm really insulting them, most of the time I am insulting them, it's fun to insult people when they don't know it, I got scared for life from overhearing a conversation my brother had with his friends for about twenty minutes last night, I lost all respect I had for my brother, it made me want to puke…I don't own the Hunger Games. **

**Cain's POV: **

Usually I don't wake up late. Usually I don't wake up in such a comfy bed. Usually, I wouldn't think just how _comfortable _Cato is. But I am. So I just grumble and move closer to him. And that's when he wakes up. I can tell because he stiffens instantly.

"If you get up, I'll kill you" I mumble. Cato shakes slightly from laughing at me.

"But I'm hungry" he complains half-heartedly.

"Too bad" I know he's smirking down at me, I don't need to look up to know. His arms tighten around me and I feel his chin on my head. We stay like that in silence for a long time. I'm just started to fall back asleep when Cato speaks.

"We really should get up"

I sigh, "Fine, but Cato" I pause and wonder if I should tell him this.

"Yeah?" He asks, ah what the hell, so I tell him.

"Your dad's an asshole, I know where you got the trait from now"

"Well thanks" Cato growls, I shrug it off as we both get out of bed. "Mom made waffles" Cato tells me just seconds before I smell them myself. I haven't had a normal meal in a long time, well, Cato and I cook. But we're not that good. "Come on" Cato's dressed now and I follow him through his house until we come out in a kitchen.

Marble countertops and tile flooring, the walls aren't falling apart like they do at my house. At the table I see Cato's parents, and now there're two little kids. They must be his siblings. I stand silently while the kids get up and run to Cato, they run up to their brother and both hug him at the same time. It's hard for me to keep a smile off my face, but I can feel Cato's parent's eyes on me, and personally, I don't want to be slapped again. So I stand and wait as Balik talks to Cato, his mouth going a hundred miles an hour and I don't even try to make sense of what he's saying.

Though Terra turns to me after greeting her brother.

"Who are you" she demands

"Cain, Cato's partner" I spit back at her, I don't like being demanded around by an eleven year old.

"Why're you here" she demands again and my hands go into fists, my eyes automatically search around for a knife. I won't kill her, that'd be rude.

"Cause he offered for me to come" I say back as I step forward to show dominance over the little girl, it's an involuntary action, one that's been drilled in from the Academy. She opens her mouth again, clearly not having seen my slight threat and I cut her off, "and if you demand something one more time I'll have no problem with hitting you myself, but I'd rather not do that." Now she's speechless. "But if you must know, my parents are dead, my brother is as good as" the room is dead silent. I look over to Cato, who just nods at me.

"Well, come eat kids" Cato's mother says and we all go over and sit down, breakfast proceeds like I didn't threaten a member of their family. Midway through the meal Cato's father clears his throat.

"So, Cain, what's your weapon?"

"Knives" I say "I throw them, it's fun"

"Show me" he says a curious look in his eyes. I know what he's doing, he wants to see just how good I am, if I'm good enough in his eyes to be his son's partner. So I show him, all of them. I see Cato grinning as I pick up the regular kitchen knife and turn in my chair. Without a second thought I flick my wrist and send the knife flying across the room.

It sticks into the other side of the room about twenty feet away. I turn back to the family. Terra has one eyebrow raised, Balik is looking at me like I just grew another head, awed by my skills, Cato's mother has a small smile on her face, and his father nods at me curtly. "Nice throw"

"Thank you sir"

Cato's beaming at me.

;;::;;;

A few hours later Cato and I are walking side by side towards my house. I turn down a back alley and he hesitates.

"Come on" I say and he falls into step with me again. Soon you can start to see the differences in the part of the District we're in. It gets louder, the air gets hotter, there's a layer of dust that's blown over form the quarry covering the buildings and the streets.

"You live here?" Cato asks when I stop at a door and slam my side in it to get the door to open. Brian will be at the quarry now, if he even still lives here though, I'm not sure.

"You got a problem with it?" I snap at him, he puts his hands up as he follows me through.

"Nope" he says "just surprised"

I walk into the house, the floor is slightly slanted, though I never really noticed before, the holes in the walls are larger since my parents no longer look over the house. I guess Brain moved in with Grace elsewhere. I go to my bedroom, Cato follows behind me. I open the door and everything is the same, nothings touched.

I walk over to the dresser as Cato sits on my bed. "I didn't know you were poor" he says, I look over and see him eyeing my room. It ticks me off.

"Never came up in our conversations" I snip at him.

"What crawled up your ass and died" I hear him mumble, I whirl around, and before I know what I'm doing, I've punched him in the face.

It's the first time I've punched him in nearly a year. And he's gotten a lot stronger in a year, this I learn when he puts his hands on my shoulders and shoves me back into the wall. "What the fuck was that about!" He snarls.

"Get out of my face you dick!"

"I hate you, you know that!" he growls as he pushes me harder against the wall. I laugh humorlessly at him.

"You don't hate me"

His fist comes in contact with my gut, not very hard, but it still hurts, though I don't let him see that.

"You love me" I say softly, deadly.

"No I don't" he snaps back, he's pissed….he's always pissed.

"Prove it then"

And that's when his lips crash onto mine.

**That awkward relationship between Cato and Cain..gotta love it..i know I do! **

**BooBerry301: **_haha it's okay it took me forever to figure out what AU meant…still not really sure about OOC I think its out of character. And I pictured you as like a firefighter..cause it was berries, then bears, then smokey the bear, then a firefighter..i'm a weirdo_

**Angel2u: **_ :D_

**Lou the Third: **_haha okay queen of awesomeness! And thanks!_

**Rue-Evergreen: **_Thanks! And for you..idk really, usually it's like Rue, but white not black..idk why_

**Thanks everyone and now REVIEW!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Soooooooo I read this review..that I forgot to reply too..that was posted a while back that asked about if Cain and Cato are going into the Games and if so, will that be in a sequel. Well..i can't answer that question, even though I know the answer. Because that would give away things, we don't want that to happen do we..no..we don't. BUT I'm going to say that I don't yet know if there will be a sequel, most likely there will not be one. Why? Because I can't think of a title for a sequel to this…lol no that's not the reason but I'm just going to put everything into one, so ya, 93.7 percent positive that there will be no sequel. BUT I will be writing other Cato/OC stories which leads me into my next topic of pre-reading enjoyment. **

**The Cato Project!**

**With this, over the span of however long it takes me, I will be writing Cato/OC fanfics. I will write one story for each District. For example: Cato/District 2 will be this story. Then my next one is a Cato/District Ten girl..i've already started that one. But you don't get to read it until this story is all done, so that's a few months! But anyways enjoy this! **

**Cain's POV:**

It takes me a second to realize what's going on here. Cato is kissing me. It takes me only a fraction of a second to respond by kissing him back. I feel Cato smirk against my lips and I almost bite him for that, almost. I just kiss him harder, which he responds to with more force, his hands going down from my shoulders to hold my hips. Where his hands touch bare skin I feel like I'm on fire.

I feel his tongue trace my bottom lip, asking me to open my mouth. I open it for him a little and soon he's trying to dominate me.

This is different from the times I kissed Mico, this doesn't feel rushed, doesn't feel forced. It feels right, perfect. My arms go up and lock behind his neck and my hands play with the blonde hair at the nape of his neck.

Then his mouth is gone from mine.

"Cato" I plead, not happy that he's left so suddenly. But then I feel his lips on my jawline. Softly, gently he places light kisses on my jawline, done my neck. His head forces me to put mine to the side if I want him to continue. I don't want him to stop, because it feels so good. I let out a sharp gasp and dig my fingers into his hair as he nips with his teeth at a spot under my left ear. He kisses the spot and continues his way down; his hand comes up and moves my collar of my shirt out of the way so that he can kiss the slope of my shoulder.

And then he bites me.

It sends shockwaves down me to my core and all I can think about is him. Cato.

"Cato!" I say his name louder and he lets go. I'm bleeding, I can feel it, but Cato kisses it and returns so his mouth is by my ear.

"Mine" he growls, his voice lower than before, low, husky. And the puts his forehead on mine and just stares into my eyes. His eyes are different, not the normal icy blue, but a liquid sapphire. And I love it. "You're mine" he says again.

* * *

><p><strong>Cato's POV<strong>

She's a great kisser, fantastic, everything I've dreamed of and more. And like everything she does, there's a fiery passion behind it. And I know then that I'm a goner. That now I'm wrapped around her finger.

I'm hooked. It's like that rat of a Victor from Twelve. How's he's hooked on alcohol. Only I'm hooked on her.

So I keep kissing her, down her jawline, her neck. I suppress a chuckle when she gasps, I make a mental note of where I was. And then I work down her neck, down her shoulder, I move her shirt. And then, because we're not really taught how we're supposed to act, because I don't know any better. I bite her.

I dominate her, because she needs to know that I'm in control. Not her.

"Cato!" Her voice is lower and I love it. I love what I'm making her do. I love what she's doing to me. I kiss the spot where I bite her gently and I taste blood on my lips. It'll mark, good. I lean in close to her ear.

"Mine" I tell her, but it comes out as a growl, the animalistic side of me beating out the normal. Though we're both more animal than human. Training does that to a person. My voice has become lower as well. I can just imagine what my eyes look like, lust coursing through them. I want her to see, so I press my forehead against hers and stare her down. "You're mine" I clarify for her.

And then she comes in and makes our lips meet once again. They move perfectly together, made for each other and I pull her closer. I pull her close so that her body is flush against mine, no space between us.

* * *

><p><strong>Cain's POV<strong>

I can feel his abs through our shirts. I can feel how strong he is. And I can feel him.

I can feel him just on my inside thigh. And he's hard, but neither of us seems to care, or he just doesn't notice.

I grab his lower lip between my teeth and he growls again at me. Electricity seems to flow through me, my core feels warm. I love it when he growls, and I growl back. And that's when he's had enough, he forces my mouth open with his tongue and I feel him dart in.

We're rough, we're mean, we're us. We aren't soft, or gentle, or sweet. That's not us.

Cato pulls back and so do I, our foreheads rest against each other's as I keep my eyes closed. I can feel his breath on my face. I can smell him too. It's a musky scent, though there's something else there too. I can only bring to mind the smell of the air after a rainstorm to describe it. The smell of Cato is now my favorite. The feel of his arms around me is now my favorite. The taste of his mouth on my own is now my favorite.

I laugh softly and then I feel him staring at me.

"What?" he asks and I can hear the arrogant grin in his voice.

"Thought you said you hated me" I whisper, because this doesn't feel like a time to be loud. I feel his lips softly on mine, only for a second and I know what it says. _I can be gentle too. _

"I lied" we both chuckle.

And right now, there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be than in Cato's arms.

**Oh what now! Y'all think I'd just leave you with that for a week! Nooo of course I had to post this update for y'all and I had to write it for myself. Hurray! Please please please review! Cato will give you a kiss….on the cheek. **

**Lou the Third: **ohh I loved your review! I love long reviews! They make me feel so special! And yes I thought it was very lovely..if you're going on Cain/Cato terms it was. And I'll have fun in Texas! Hahaha but really I'll just be sitting at my grandparents for six days..maybe I'll find a way to update!

**Angel2u: **whoot whoot!

**BooBerry301: **I love fangirl times..it's just so so…refreshing

**Rue-Evergreen: **haha thanks! I liked the threatening as well, it seemed to suit Cain. And AU means alternate universe..i'm ninety percent sure. And I don't mind you asking..not like you're stalking me or anything cause that'd be creepy (no offense to stalkers cause I've been accused of stalking Xander cause I'm like oh yeah he's is Boston till the end of this week then he's going to Vancouver..it's called watching his twitter very intently) but anywho I'm going to Arlington, I have family who live down there..I myself used to live in Plano, but I don't anymore miss it there. And I'm glad I made your Monday!

**and wow i figured out how to put lines in a story..yeah. Anyways here's a book suggestion: read the Scorpio Races! It's a REALLY REALLY good book! If you like horses you'll love it..i'm writing a fic for it now! **

**REVIEW **


	25. Chapter 25

**So I'm going to try and finish this chapter so it can be up before I leave…if it's Wednesday and it's up then I succeeded. So yes, enjoy **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, if I did then Cato wouldn't have died, he would have gone out of the arena met a character who has the same name as I do and married her. **

**Chapter 25:**

I stuff my clothes into the empty drawer of Cato's dresser at his house. I'm keeping them here from now on, well, some of them, not all. After I go and plop down on his bed, I'm not really sure where Cato is, his father had called him over to talk to him.

I close my eyes and try to relax, well, as much as I can. My body still stays rigid, prepared to fight, prepared to be attacked. But eventually I fall asleep.

**Cato's POV: **

"Cato" I hear my father call.

"Go put your stuff in the free drawer, I'll be there soon" I promise Cain, she nods but before she can turn I grab her and put my lips on hers again. We kiss until I hear someone clear their throat. "Go" I tell Cain softly and she does, I turn to see my father standing in the doorway.

"We need to talk Cato" I nod and he gestures for me to go into the living room. I do and take a seat on one of the couches; my father sits across from me.

"What?" I ask

"I don't approve of your partner" I glare at my father.

"How could you not?"

"She's small, rude, she doesn't-"

"At least she doesn't take any bullshit from anyone" I snap, interrupting him. He just raises an eyebrow at me. "Sure she's short, but that doesn't really matter does it? She's good with a sword too, bloody amazing with knives! She's only rude to…" I pause for a second; I'm on my feet now in my father's face. "Okay she's rude to everybody but being nice doesn't win the Games! She's beautiful! She'll get sponsors, and she's with me! We'll get sponsors if we go in" I pause for a second to regain my breath.

"_When _you go in Cato" he corrects.

"Sure _when _I go in." then I think of something that will impress my father, "She had training before the Academy as well."

"Did she?"

"Yes"

"You're certain?"

"Positive"

My father gets up and starts walking towards my bedroom. "What are you doing?" I growl.

"Making sure you're not lying to me" we both go in and see Cain sleeping on my bed. My father goes over and starts to reach for Cain; I jump between them and grab his hand.

"Don't you touch her!" I whisper yell.

"Cato move, I'm just testing" by his tone I know there is no room for argument. I move aside, and then my father clamps his hand down over her mouth and nose.

Cain's eye fly open, while her legs simultaneously shoot out, kicking my father in the gut. She doesn't even wait as she jumps on him, they both fall to the floor and she gets in one good punch to his face before I go in and grab her off him. She struggles as I hold her to my chest.

"You're okay, it's fine" I whisper, she stills in my arms and looks down at my father, who is now getting up. Cain's breathing is fast and uneven and I continue to whisper to her and I kiss her hair. "You're okay" I say, it doesn't help now. "I'm here" she relaxes.

"Cato" she breathes.

"I'm here" I tell her again. I look up and my father nods to me, a slight grin on his face, then he leaves.

I sit down on my bed and continue to hold Cain in my lap. My arms wrapped around her, her arms over mine, holding them in place around her. Neither of us say anything for a long time, we just sit there, then she speaks up.

"Let's go to the mountains" she says, "Me, you, Balik, and Terra"

"Okay, let's go find them"

**Short chapter is better than no chapter..remember that! Next chapter is in the mountains! Not really sure what to do there, but oh well. Hope y'all have a good week and I'll see ya on like Wednesday!**

**BooBerry301: **okay first off I LOVED your review on Liv It Up as well I was literally laughing my head off for like ten minutes. And don't worry, they may try and kill each other again.

**Lou the Third: **two words on how long your review is: holy shit. I LOVED IT! I'm glad it seems very Cato-like to you! That's what I'm going for! And yes you get a kiss on the cheek from Cato, you all do! And don't worry I wasn't bored reading that at all I was laughing most of the time…tears of joy.

**MissAmazing101: **Thanks!

**KTstoriesandstuff: **YESSSS OMG YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I WAS THAT YOU REMEMBERED ABOUT THE BEDS! I was like YES someone remembers! Haha, and she's not completely Cato is awesome..more like Cato isn't an asshole very often. But thanks!

**RueEvergreen: **you changed your pen name on me..sneaky you go rid of the – thingy. And how can you not have heard of Arlington! It's like where the Cowboys stadium is and the Rangers ballpark! Oh and lol about the autograph thing I'd be like oh yes of course! Me signing like…a shoe. Well, thanks for the review though , LOVED IT!

_**I LOVE HOW MANY REVIEWS I GET TO RESPOND TOO!**_

**Aruano: **omg that means so much to me! I first made an account to review for a certain story too…..i don't remember which one thouh…..

**Lexa Snow: **Of course I'll update when I get back! It'd like kill me if I didn't go with this story until it's complete

**Nelle07: **Ya! Happy dance!


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry this chapter would've been up sooner! But my mom made me make dinner tonight so I had to cook! Which turned out very well may I add, considering I messed up making jello before. Yes, it is possible to mess up jello. Oh well, enjoy this chapter!**

**I don't own the HG**

**Cain's POV:**

And so, a few hours later; Cato, Balik, Terra, and I are walking up a trail towards the top of one of the mountains inside the district fence. I'm in shorts that hug my legs and a tight tank top; they're the closest clothes I had to training clothes. Cato is just in a pair of cutoff jeans, I don't mind that he left his shirt at home. Balik and Terra wear just shorts and a T-shirt.

It's hard to suppress a smile as Cato's brother bugs his sister to race him, claiming that he's way faster than her. Terra just scoffs at him and tells him to shut up, but she eventually does give in.

"first one to the turn wins!" Balik cries as he takes off.

"Cheater!" Terra screams and goes after him. I let out a bark of a laugh and then feel Cato's gaze on me. I turn to look at him and blue eyes clash with green. Before I know it his lips are on mine. I grin into the kiss as my hands go up to his hair. Cato pulls me close so out bodies are flush against each other's.

"Short ass" Cato complains between kisses, he does have a point, he has to lean down a ways to get to me. I hitch one leg over his hip and he gets the hint. His hands slide down the length of my body until they're under my butt. He hoists my legs up and I wrap them around his torso. "Much better" he whispers. Though the kiss only lasts about five seconds longer before we're caught.

"Cato! Stop sucking face and get over here!" I hear Terra's voice yell from far off. Cato groans as he pulls back and puts his forehead on mine.

"I'll race you" he smirks.

"I'll win" I say smugly. Then I'm dropped and he's off running before I even touch the ground. I take off after Cato, who's sprinting towards his siblings. It's a short distance, but it seems shorter to us, considering we could run at least twenty miles at a good pace without stopping. I catch up to Cato with about fifty yards to go. I pass him and smirk to myself.

I beat him there, with only inches to spare.

"You run like a girl" Terra sneers at Cato, he smacks her gently upside the head.

"Shut your face" he says, "You do too"

"I _am _a girl smartass"

"Whatever" we all begin walking again and Cato drifts back to me, his hand finds mine and he squeezes it. "Good job"

"Thanks shitface" Cato rolls his eyes at me and I chuckle.

"You're an asshole" he mutters and I kiss his neck quickly.

"And don't you forget it"

;;::;;

Once we reach the top we find a pond, clear, crisp water. The Harrison siblings all run right in, Balik ditching his shirt on the way to the water. I stand there for a moment, chuckling as Cato lets out a loud whoop before jumping in. Seeing him this happy makes my stomach flutter, it feels weird, girly. I don't feel girly very often. But I don't mind this feeling, because it's connected to Cato.

He resurfaces and instantly his eyes find me, he bites his bottom lip and raises his eyebrows, tilting his head. It's his questioning look. I sigh and go and jump in with him and his siblings.

So we spend the next few hours swimming, I pretend to get tired, latching my arms around Cato's neck from behind so he can drag me around the large pond. He complains that he can't really kick his legs with me there, I tell him to shut up and swim. It's a lot more enjoyable than when we were taught to swim at Academy, or when I was, Cato already knew.

We got thrown into a ten foot deep pool, and told we couldn't come out till we knew how to swim.

So I'm a self-taught swimmer, only took me two hours to learn.

Later, Cato and I lay out on some flat rocks while Terra and Balik still splash in the water. I keep my eyes closed as my head rests on Cato's bare chest, his chin resting on top of my head. He holds one of my hands in his own, and it just feels so right to be here with him. We don't say anything, not even when Terra gets out and sits beside us.

After a few seconds of silence she starts to hum a tune.

"How come you don't sing to that?" Cato asks, his chest vibrating underneath me.

"I don't know the words" she snaps, then continues her humming. But, I know the words. And slip out of my mouth easily.

"_Come away little lass  
>Come away to the water<br>To the ones that are waiting only for you  
>Come away little lass<br>Come away to the water  
>Away from the life that you always knew<br>We are calling to you" _

I sing the words easily, all sound stops except for Terra's humming, as if she's encouraging me to go on. And I can feel Cato looking at me as I keep my eyes shut. I figured they wouldn't know the words; it's from my part of the District, the poorer part of District Two. The song is meant to envelop the essence of what a student of the Academy, or a Career as we're called in the outer Districts, should think like.

"_Come away little light  
>Come away to the darkness<br>In the shade of the night we'll come looking for you  
>Come away little light<br>Come away to the darkness  
>To the ones appointed to see it through<br>We are calling for you  
>We are coming for you"<em>

I don't remember the last time I sang this song, the last time I sang in general really. Maybe once or twice while Cato was out. But how Terra knows the tune? She must have heard some kids singing it once around school.

"_Come away little lamb  
>Come away to the water<br>Give yourself so we might live anew  
>Come away little lamb<br>Come away to the slaughter  
>To the ones appointed to see this through<br>We are calling for you  
>We are coming for you"<em>

I feel Cato stroke my hair softly, then his hand goes down and he runs his finger gently, slowly, down the scar that goes from my temple to my chin. Terra has stopped humming, so I guess she doesn't know the end of the song.

"_Come away little lamb  
>Come away to the water<br>To the arms that are waiting only for you  
>Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter<br>To the one appointed to see this through  
>We are calling for you<br>We are coming for you  
>We are coming for you<br>We are coming for you"_

I finish and there's just silence. And all I feel is Cato press his lips to my forehead.

"You're amazing" he whispers into my ear. I grin at that. I am pretty great.

**Oh Cain, ruined the moment. Oh well. At least I got this up! Texas was fun…my mom took me to a bar. A honkey tonk to be exact. That was fun, even if I'm not old enough to drink. It was fun: music, dancing, drunk people, and second-hand smoking. Great fun! No I really liked it though, fun time. **

**Lou the Third: **thank you queen of awesomeness. Just saying I tried singing your review..part of it sounded good. My singing's amazing..no…not really..i suck….i'll just keep with writing….

**RueEvergreen: **alligators do get pissed easily. I understand. And yus Cain and Cato are indeed sixteen years old. OH I GET IT NOW! WOWWW I LITERALLY JUST UNDERSTOOD THAT….wowwwww

**BooBerry301: **stabbing would've made things interesting..i actually thought about doing that..but decided that might upset Cato a bit…even if his dad's an ass.

**Lexa Snow: **wow it took me a long time to type your user name..i kept doing Xnow by accident. And I looked but I did not see Greasy Monkey I would've tried it though, been like mom pull over! But we did go to Sonic (LOVE) and steak n' shake, so those places are glorious in all their wonderful food glory

**xXmusiclover15Xx: **thank you!

**Aruano: **lol thanks, when I read your first review I was like what I said I'd update Tuesday! Had a mini panic attack, but I got it in Wednesday! Score for me! Lol thanks!

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! So remember:**

**Always listen to alligators**

**And review!**

**For now this has been Mocking Verse, who shall now try and go fix iHeart Radio which has decided to be a bitch to me. Grrrrrrrr. **


	27. Chapter 27

**So, for the past few days I've been lacking in writing inspiration. I mean, I have TONS of ideas and plans for both this story and Liv It Up, which you all should go check out btw, but I just sit down to write and can't seem to be able to get anything down..so if this isn't the best I'm sorry. I wanted to get SOMETHING up for you guys. So I did a time skip for this chapter, Cato and Cain have now been back from the little family visit for…let's go with…two months? Yes, two months is a good amount of time. Hope you enjoy.**

**If you didn't go back and read the A/N!**

**I do not own the Hunger Games, though I wish I did, cause everyone would know my name, you guys would know my **_**real **_**name mwhhahaha you don't know it! But I do! Well, of course I do, it's that name that my mom screams about five times a day that means I'm in deep shit. I'm such a good child..lol not really. But hey, life's short so liv it up ;) **

**Chapter some number that I'm too lazy to check:**

**HEY I JUST CAME UP WITH A GREAT IDEA! HUZZA! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAIN!**

**ONWARD WITH THE CHAPTER!:**

The first thing my mind goes to when I'm woken up is that it's Sunday, I should still be sleeping. The second thing that my mind processes is Cato's lips on mine. Jerk woke me up, oh well. I respond by kissing him back. His lips form a smirk on mine and I nip on his tongue as he slips it in my mouth. Cato hisses in protest and I chuckle internally.

He pulls back so just his forehead is on mine, his bare top half hovers over me, his lower half still on his side of the bed. Which is now one. That was literally the first thing Cato did when we got back from his family's house. Literally.

_We open the door to our apartment and I toss my dog tags into the bowl by the door, Cato rushes off somewhere. _

"_Cato?" I call and just follow where he went off. I hear scrapping from our bedroom. I sigh as I kick off my shoes and they land somewhere by the couch. I hope Cato trips on them, that'd be funny. I go into our bedroom just as Cato is putting down one of the beds. He hooked them together; he looks back at me and smirks. I look and see the sheets and comforter are just tossed on the floor, well; they're in front of my feet now. _

"_You're not getting in my pants shitface." I hop over the mountain of fabric as he pouts. _

"_Asshole" he mumbles, I go and put my hands on his chest and kiss him. He tries to force his tongue in my mouth and I pull back. _

"_Yet" I say giving his a chaste kiss before walking out, leaving his standing there with another arrogant smirk on his face. _

"Happy Birthday beautiful" Cato whispers. Oh. That's right, I'm seventeen now. Bloody fantastic.

"Thank you, did you get me anything?" I tease; we've never really gotten anything for each other before.

"I know what I could _take _from you" he whispers, his voice husky. "That'd be more fun than any gift."

And that's another thing. He's getting more inpatient. We had gotten close to it, but when his hand had slipped under my shorts and began to pull them lower, my mind cleared and I had practically kicked his off while begging him to stop.

We hadn't talked to each other at all the next day, until he came up and said he'll wait.

But for now, I just put a finger on his lips and give him a stern "No Cato" Cato huffs as he gets up and off of me.

"Why!?" He spits out. He's mad, and I've learned that it's best to just let him rant, to just stay silent and try not to punch him in the face. But now silence doesn't work as I just look at him. "Why the hell not Cain?!" He screams now.

"Cause" I say simply, anger underlays in my tone.

"That's not a bloody reason! It sucks you know? How," he pauses, he's not the best with words, "how _good _you make me feel and then we just have to stop!" he runs his hands through his cropped blonde hair, I can see his muscles ripple since his shirt is off and it makes me bite my lower lip. "And when you do that! Because _clearly _your body wants to!" Now I'm mad.

"I said no Cato! Not right now! I just- I can't right now!" I get out of bed and make my way towards the kitchen, and out of our bedroom. Cato stands there silently. But then he says something that makes me whip around.

"You're scared" he says it like he's just had an epiphany, maybe he has.

"I AM NOT SCARED!" I fume at him, I hate it, I hate that he's right. Because I don't trust people, only Cato, I don't like giving in to people. And that's exactly what I'd be doing; I'd be giving Cato everything. "I can stand my ground and not bat an eye while you come at me with a sword, I can stand there and trust you to throw a knife just inches away from my head, I am not scared to sleep with you." I seethe, lying through my teeth just inches away from his face. "I just don't want to" That's the truth.

I stomp out, when Cato comes to eat with me we act like nothing just happened. In the end, we just end up going for a ten mile run before coming back to our apartment. It's Sunday so we have nothing else to do, or we thought.

Because when the door flies open when Cato is on top of me kissing and biting my neck, it scares the shit outta both of us.

Two peacekeepers stand in the doorway while Brutus stands between them. Apparently seeing two of his students shirtless and in the middle of a make out session doesn't faze him.

"Get dressed and meet me down by the Council Room" and that's all he says before he leaves.

I look to Cato with a smirk on my face and see it's also on his.

You only get called down to the Council Room for three reasons: if you're being sent home because you're weak, if you broke the rules, or if you've been selected to represent District Two in the Hunger Games that will take place during your final reaping year.

And we're both pretty sure we're being called down for the latter.

**Oh no! What will happen! Who will survive! Will I get this updated before four o'clock! I think yes! Please review! I don't have time to respond to reviews but I will next chapter! **


	28. Chapter 28

**Okay, so actually I lost track of what story I'm supposed to update..so I'm gunna go with Academy. Oh and my dog says hi, he's right next to me. He wants me to pet him instead of write..but the thing is..he's not allowed upstairs..and that's where we are. I'm a rebel, letting my dogs upstairs when I'm home alone..mostly because they know how to open the gate, my theory is that if they can open the gate..they deserve to be upstairs. **

**Another thing I've done..i made a tumblr for my fanfiction! Hurray you guys should follow me, and help me, cause I have like no idea how to use tumblr..like..at all. I can post text and pictures but I don't know how to make separate pages for all of my stories which is what I would love to do. But ya I'll be posting links to songs that I listen too while I write each chapter, pictures of like, my dogs and horse, most likely none of me actually. So ya I'm Mocking-Verse so go follow me, I'll follow you back! Whoot whoot! I may even make a page where I can say my upcoming ideas that I have or come up with and you guys can read that. It'd be like spoilers, well it would be but if you wanted to know them you could that way. So I guess onward with the story! **

**Be sure to read the end others note..it addresses something!**

**I do not own the Hunger Games! But I do own the coke that is..wait the phones ringing… LOL OMG THAT WAS SOOO MUCH FUN! Okay so that was the republicans calling so I answered. And this persons like hello I support Mitt Romney! So I'm like hi! Here's the conversation:**

**Person: Hello I support Mitt Romney!**

**Me: Hi! How are you?**

**Person: I'm good thanks, do you know who you're voting for this upcoming election?**

**Me: No (ya know, I'm not old enough to vote XD)**

**P: Oh, well may I ask who you are currently supporting?**

**M: Cato Hadley**

**P: excuse me?**

**M: Cato Hadley for President ya know?**

**P: There is no Cato running Miss**

**M: He volunteered**

**P: You can't volunteer for President**

**M: But he did volunteer**

***silence***

**P: wait how old are you?!**

**M: fifteen **

**Then they hung up on me..oh well, but still Cato Hadley for President, I would so go with that. Oh well, but please note I did not lie to the person, he did volunteer..for the Hunger Games. **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

Cato and I arrive at the Council Room just ten minutes after Brutus leaves. We stop outside of the closed doors; I look at Cato the same time he looks at me. His hand goes on the back of my neck as he brings me in to a quick kiss, then he knocks.

"Come in" someone answers. Cato and I enter the room and I do a quick scan for danger. It's a small circular room, leather chairs line the perimeter. Ten chairs, all are filled. They're the Victors, District Two Victors from past Hunger Games. Cato stands in the center of the room and I go stand next to him, his arm goes around me, tucking me into his side.

None of the Victors have any weapons right now, though all of them are experienced killers. I only recognize Brutus, Enobaria, Lyme, Gild, Quincy, Jyraid, and Couver. The three others I have only seen in passing or on television. I feel their eyes on us, they're studying us. My eyes narrow as I glare at them, my lips start to come up to snarl at them, but before I can Cato's arm tightens around me.

_Stop it _

He tells me without having to use words. I keep my eyes narrowed.

The man, who sits in front of us, near the center of the semi-circle of Victors, stands up. He's an older man, in his seventies that's what it looks like at least. His hair is white, his blue eyes are cold, sharp. He walks around us, looking our bodies up and down.

"Let go of her boy" he commands and Cato does so, I take a step away from him. The man makes a separate circle around just me. I say looking ahead, so when he puts his hand on my back, I'm not expecting it.

My hand flies behind my back to grab his wrist as I spin around and my fist flies towards his face in a right hook. His free and comes up quickly to stop me, grabbing my wrist and painfully twisting my body around so my back is to him. It all happens in about two seconds. My breathing has picked up since I went into defense mode; it only picks up more when I feel his breath by my ear.

"Very good Cain, very good" if I was a normal person, I would've shuddered, but I don't. Instead I just reply with a simple.

"I know" it comes out as a growl and he laughs humorlessly at me. He releases me and goes over to look over Cato.

"You two are quiet a pair" the man says, "Been in leader class since day one, highest scores in your year. Cato, you can snap a neck with your bare hands, can't you?" he asks with a smirk on his face.

"Yes sir"

"Now what we'd like to discuss. Is the Hunger Games" a glint comes into his eyes as he mentions them. "Pride to your family"

"Honor to your District" Cato and I say simultaneously.

"Exactly, and we feel like you two could do just that" the man sits down in the chair he previously occupied, "you're both perfect examples of what an Academy student should be. Gild, would you like to explain our little dilemma?" A man with scruffy brown hair rises and starts to walk around the room.

"Both of you have been chosen to be tributes in the Hunger Games," he stops and looks at us, "What we need to know, is which year."

So we could go in this year, or the next, or the next. This year would be the Seventy Third Hunger Games, the reaping being held next week. So, we could be in a Quarter Quell. I look to Cato, his eyes are alive, and I can tell what he's thinking. He wants to; he wants to be in the Quell. But I'm not so sure. The only difference between the two in the end is that the Quell brings more honor. But then, there's more of a chance that I'll lose him in the Quell, with whatever the twist is.

I don't want Cato to die.

"Also, you could go separately, if you wish too. Cain, you could volunteer next year, Cato could for the Quell."

"We're staying together" I say fiercely. That's not an option; I'm going in with Cato. I'm going in that arena with him, and I'm coming out with him.

"Well then you need to decide when"

I look to Cato, and he looks at me. A silent conversation starts. I can practically hear him talking in my head.

_Not this year_ I nod to that.

_The Quell? _He raises an eyebrow and his eyes get a glint in them. I shake my head, _no_, Cato huffs, shaking his head. I cock mine to the side a bit and grin. Cato snorts and turns his head from mine.

"Not this year" he tells the Council.

"They should go in next year, we don't know what the Quell specifications will be, it might make them ineligible that year." Enobaria voices her opinion on the matter. Several other Victors nod to this.

"It probably won't!" Cato snaps back.

"Probably is not good enough" one of the Victors who I don't know says calmly. "If it does prohibit you, then we've lost out on a chance to have another Victor from District Two."

"I just want to be in the Games" Cato growls.

"Then you'll volunteer for the Seventy Fourth, both of you.

" the oldest man tells us. Cato and I nod and he stands up,  
>Gild sits down as the older man stands between Cato and I, taking my left hand and Cato's right. He raises our hands up high as he says: "Fellow Victors, I give you District Two's tributes for the Seventy Fourth Annual Hunger Games." He lets go of our hands and we are dismissed.<p>

Cato's hand is on the doorknob when Jyraid calls out to us, we turn and look at him.

"I hope you two realize, that the odds of both of you surviving are slim" We just nod and leave. But it really sinks in when Cato pulls me to his side as we walk back.

My days alive are now numbered, as are Cato's.

**Whoo! Tributes! And wow when some of you guys said you were surprised they're going into the Games I was like REALLY? I mean no offence, I thought I made it pretty obvious. But ya, they go into the Games! Which I won't be making a separate story for that! It's all in this one! Please review! **

**BooBerry301: **Thank you!

**Lou the Third: **lol thanks! And wow, Batman, he's everywhere now.

**RueEvergreen: **alligator is my friend too, I'm glad you both like it


	29. Chapter 29

**Sorry it's been so long since I updated this story, I'm a busy person with school starting soon and whatnot. And I tried to be cool and change settings on my account on the family computer so I made myself an administrator, effectively blocking myself from seeing all the files that have to do with my fanfiction. How come? Because no one but you guys knows I write fanfiction and it'd pretty hard to explain to my parents that ya, I write stories about kids killing each other and violence in my free time for fun. So yeah, but I fixed it, so now I can see where I left off and update. And as usual**

**I own nothing..not even a copy of the Hunger Games on DVD yet, that should arrive on my doorstep within a week, and when it gets here. Oh the whole neighborhood will know. **

**Also, whenever I see a still from the hunger games and I think of Cato's death I start to cry. Because Cato is an amazing person, he's just misunderstood. And now I'm crying cause I'm thinking about it. And because he's played by alexander who's just too damn sexy to die. Which, when he does, I'll be that old lady who locked herself in a closet to cry her eyes out for days on end. But let's not think of that, let's think of them both, and their abs. cause those are happy thoughts. **

**Also, this story will be ending within the next like….i don't know, fifteen chapters? **

**So enjoy:**

The news that Cato and I would be the tributes for the Seventy Fourth Games spread fast. Really fast. And things changed, for Cato and I at least.

Training got, easier, in a way. The drills were just as hard, just as painful. The punishments, if anything, were worse. Since now the Academy also controlled on whether or not you got to eat dinner. You get hurt in training, by the time you get back to your apartment the food has all been cleared out by Avoxes, and in the morning, you're lucky if they've restocked you during the night.

But as for easier, Cato and I get more slack. We can sneak off during training, and we're not punished. Because everyone wants to keep who could be a future Victor happy. And so it's not rare, or a first, when Cato will grab my hand, bring me over to a more secluded corner of the training center, and then start an urgent make out session right where some people can see.

When I asked him once why he does that, he just shrugged and said he gets bored.

But as a pair, Cato and I are stronger together than ever before. We thrive off each other. Just his presence there and my fighting improves by, what the trainers say, is at least thirty percent. Cato's punches are harder, swifter, which for us, is good. If you break another kid's arm, or any bone really, then you and your partner get extra food that night.

Cato and I have known we're the tributes for about two months now.

The Games had come and gone as always, though this year, we had watched more intensely. We would talk a loud to each other more. The landscape had been mostly water, with small islands dotting the vast spread. I had given a Cato the great speech of I-told-you-we-shouldn't-have-gone-in-this-year which he had just ended by throwing a plate at my face. He missed of course. When a new mutation would appear, we would discuss on how to kill it. How to stay alive if we were in there.

Though neither of us said it aloud, we both knew we would've died in an arena like that. It wasn't really a huge shocker when the female tribute from District Four was crowned Victor.

But none of that mattered right now. Because right now. I was about to give myself over to Cato, and him to me.

No, I'm not having sex with him. He's still pretty pissed I haven't yet, by the way.

But we had agreed to do The Branding. A rare, sacred ceremony between two people, where it means you'll be each other's forever. It's what the Capital calls marriage. Though this is an extreme of that, no rings, just pain. Usually only young kids do it together. It's actually a simple process. You take a knife; hold the tip over a fire until it's white from the heat. And then, you brand your partner. You brand your name on the inside of their forearm. The larger the name reads, the more dedicated you are to your partner.

In my lifetime I've only seen one person with a Partner Brand. The name on her forearm read Yeaks, and it wasn't that large, so I assume the pain became too much for her.

But now Cato kneels before the fire we built, knife slowly turning white as the snow that sometimes falls during winter here.

"It's ready" he tells me, looking back. I just nod. Cato comes towards me with the knife now, he opens his arms, which I gladly go into and I wrap my arms around him, making sure my right forearm is up and facing him.

I place my lips on his neck and breathe him in. Just his scent makes me relax. That is until I feel a searing, blinding pain coarse through my whole body from my forearm. But I don't scream, I really want to, because this pain may be the worst I've ever felt, but instead I just bite Cato; who growls in response as he continues dragging the searing knife across my forearm, I can feel the 'C' that he's writing.

And even when the flat blade is gone, I'm still in pain because of the second-going-on-third degree burn my partner is giving me. Not a second later is it back and I feel him burning a large 'A' onto my skin. After he finishes his name, I'll be dunking my forearm into a bucket of ice water we have off to the side. My skin will blister over, then new, darker skin, will grow over it. Leaving a noticeable claim of me on myself and I will no longer be able to feel anything that touches the scar. Having killed the nerve cells under the affected skin.

"You're okay" Cato murmurs in my ear and I switch to just kissing his neck instead of biting it. I'm trying to distract myself. _Pain is good. _I remember what we were told our first year. _If you're in pain it means you're still alive. You can still fight. Pain is good. _

It retreats and then comes back as Cato starts with the 'T'. He does it quickly, just sliding the blade over my skin twice, not keeping it down very long, just enough to burn.

I close my eyes now and just clamp my teeth together, no longer kissing Cato, just putting up with what he's doing to me. Do it for him. Put up with it for Cato.

"Done" Cato says and then he takes my arm and pulls me over to the water bucket. I shove my arm in and a sigh escapes me as all the heat is retracted out of the burns. Cato leans over and presses his lips to mine. I kiss him back, though it doesn't last long. Because I'm taking my arm out, and then we're both looking at it. 'CATO' is burned vertically down my forearm in neat, dark, burned skin letters. Cato takes his hand and lightly presses down on his name. And I feel nothing. I smirk at Cato and he returns it before he kisses his name on me. "It's beautiful" he murmurs

"Course it is"

* * *

><p>Just minutes later, we repeat the process, this time with Cato's arms around me as I burn my name onto him. He doesn't scream either, just stiffens. I do my work quickly, barely giving Cato time to register that I've started on the next letter. Within two minutes, I'm done and he's soaking his arm in the water.<p>

Once he's done he takes our arms and puts them side by side.

I am Cato's. And he is mine.

And now the world will know that as well.

**Hurray! So I'm just going to start replying to reviews every other chapter, so I'll reply in the next chapter. I love all of them though! Help to keep going and you guys give great advice! So the story is going to be moving pretty quickly from now until the Games, so that's a heads up. I'm going to have two more chapters for year four and then most likely I'll just do one really long third person view year five chapter as just an overview. Then the Games and everything that goes along with that. **

**And just so you guys know, someone asked this, I do not plan to follow what happened to Cato during the Games in the book closely, it'll be different. Clove will not be making any appearances as well. So yeah. Please review! **

**Oh and I updated Liv It Up with the actual chapter after I did that little sorry note about how I did a chapter hated it and then deleted it off, so now the real chapter is up! **

**Please review! I'll love you forever!**


	30. Chapter 30

**So, I have news. Big news. BIG BIG NEWS! Cause now I'm in school and I have time to think during a study hall that I had nothing to do anything in and ended up starring at a blank piece of paper for an hour so it would look like I'm working. I have decided…..that….this story….shall be split into two. **

**Yes, there will be a sequel to this!**

**I know this whole time I've been like oh ya no just one book..i changed my mind. Because I started this other story Even If It Breaks Your Heart and I want to finish that one. Because that is just a Cato/OC in the Games, so I wanted to write the Games and get practice with that before I write the Games for Academy. So, there's like….four/five more chapters of Academy, then y'all be waiting for the sequel which I have decided on a very creative and well thought out title for: Academy: Part Two. **

**Yup, I'm great. And I don't own the Hunger Games, so enjoy. **

"I don't understand!" Cato yells at me. It happened.

Again.

When he starts to kiss me, it gets deeper, then he wants more, and I make him stop. So he's standing, shirtless, just in his underwear, in our room. I'm sitting up on the bed with one my bra and underwear on.

"Cato! I just don't!" I yell back.

"Why not!" He screams back, he shows me his arm. My name is burned into it. It's only a month old, and still clear.

"Because" I say softer, pleading with him as he knocks a vase off the dresser and it shatters to the floor.

"You scared you'll get pregnant?!" He bellows, apparently he just came up with this.

"No Cato! It's not that!"

"I bet it is!" He says as he grabs his pants and pulls them back on.

"Where are you going?" I demand.

"Away Cain!" he snaps.

"Cato it's not that! I can't-" I start to say I can't get pregnant, the pills I take every morning prevent that. It's not possible for me to have a baby, as long as I take the pills.

"I don't want your excuses!" he roars at me, he spins around to face me. "I'm sick of this Cain! What else can we give each other! Nothing, look at my arm! Damn it Cain!" He turns and stomps out the door into the living room, I get up and run after him. I see him heading for the door, a shirt being pulled over his head and I grab his arm. He spins around on me. "WHAT!"

"Where are you going?" I whisper, pleading.

"I don't fucking know! Not here though! I'm sick of this! Sick of us! I thought we were everything to get other! I've waited, four fucking years I've waited for you! But you won't have sex with me!" He yanks his arm away from me. "All cause you're scared you'll get pregnant or something! I don't even get a reason!"

"Cato you don't understand! But you can't go! I need more time!" I plead. He ignores me as he goes out the door into the hallway, I follow him despite my lack of clothing, it's almost eleven so there shouldn't be many kids around. I grab his arm around, he stops and tenses but doesn't turn to me. "You promised" I say, barely above a whisper as I remember the night after the branding. Lying in bed with Cato, his arms around me and I asked him –barely above a whisper- to promise that he would never leave me. And he had.

"I promised a lot of things Cain" he snaps, I can tell he's trying to calm down, but it's Cato, so of course he can't. With that he pulls away and starts briskly away, and I panic.

"CATO NO!" I cry hysterically. "CATO!" he keeps walking. "YOU PROMISED ME!" my voice breaks as my eyes well with tears as he just keeps walking. I sink to the ground. "CATO!" My body convulses as I have to take a sharp intake of air. "PLEASE!" he still doesn't turn around. He turns around the corner and my head drops into my hands.

"I love you" I sob, but he can't hear me, the only people who can are the kids who came out of their rooms, just to see me fall apart.

* * *

><p>The next morning I wake up to an empty bed. And I've never felt so alone. My heart feels like it's suddenly turned to stone and physically weighs me down. I look at the clock. I need to be ready for training in an hour.<p>

But I don't.

I stay in bed, because I can't face him. I can't see him and know that he doesn't want me anymore. _I'm sick of this! Sick of us! _His words play over and over and over again in my head. So I don't get up. All I have the energy to do is roll over and press a button that writes me down for a sick day, we only get three a year.

I curl up with the sheets, wrapping my arms around the pillow that he uses, because it smells like him. Musky, with something that I can only describe as Cato.

I've never missed a training day. Not once. It feels strange, to not be moving, to just lay here.

But I don't want to move.

I know Cato will go to training. And he'll perform better than he usually does; because he's pissed. And then he'll sulk and eat lunch by himself. Because no one but me ever dares to talk to him when he's mad. As I think of it, tears come to my eyes, but they don't fall. I know every little thing that he will do today. I know him _that _well. I know he'll pick the weighted sword, because he likes the challenge of it. I know he'll make sure the first years are watching, because he loves to see the complete awe on their faces. I know he'll have chicken at lunch, because he had beef yesterday, and he hates eating either of them two days in a row. I know that in hand to hand he'll headlock his opponent, then twist their head to the side just as far as he needs to so that they know he could snap their neck like a twig if he wanted to. I know he'll have to tie his shoes at least three times, because he's arrogant and thinks that double knotting shoelaces is for wimps.

So I spend the whole day in bed, only going to the bathroom. I don't eat, I don't drink. I just lie there, and think of him.

I remember everything about him.

* * *

><p><strong>Ugh oh, troubles. Hope you liked it, like the chapter, not what happened. Ya, I'll just shut up now..<strong>

**RueEvergreen: **Aw thank you!

**Lou the Third: **Ya, I wouldn't let anyone brand me either..I can't do shots. Thanks for the review!

**BooBerry301: **Crazy Careers, what are they (I) thinking?!

**Guest..oh aruano: **Thank you! And congrats on getting the movie!

**Guest: **thanks!

**A-Bookworm-Named-Steph: **Wow, I almost missed replying I was like what's that long pen name lol. And ya, my family doesn't know what fanfiction is. And thanks!

**KTstoriesandstuff: **Thanks! I thought branding went with D2!

**Vingage Assassin: **wow..i just realized ass is in the word assassin twice..i'm brilliant! Thanks for the compliment and review!

**Panda Bandit: **I love pandas! And thank you!

**Holy shit you guys are great! That's like…nine reviews! Can we get ten! I think we can! I've never gotten ten reviews for one chapter!**

**Blasting off!**

**Mocking Verse**


	31. Chapter 31

**Okay so this is an update. As you know, now read. But before that. Could you guys do me a huge favor? Could you please go to YouTube..look up 'What You Gunna Do' by Hunter Hayes and listen to that while you read this? I'm sorry but that song is like this chapter. **

I wake up and the first thing my mind comes to is that it's Saturday, a day off. And then, on pure instinct, I roll over.

But he's not there.

Oh right, Cato's gone. I push myself out of bed and stomp over to the kitchen. I'm starving after spending yesterday sulking, and even now, I feel like a part of me is missing. Because he's not here, because I know he doesn't care, and it's the worst thing to know.

_I'm sick of this! Sick of us! _

It's like the trainers. Up. Down. Up. Down. Only a hundred more push-ups to go, then we'll beat you to run five miles. Up. Down. They keep repeating it until it runs through your head for days on end. But he only had to say it once. And it won't get out of my head. I make myself toast and end up clutching the counter.

_Sick of this, sick of us. _

The toast pops out and my hand automatically goes to the knife that I always keep with me. It's a reflex, if something happens suddenly, you protect yourself. I can't even make breakfast without feeling threatened.

I'm usually not that bad, but since _he _isn't here.

_Sick of us. _

I catch a glimpse of my forearm, seeing the dark letters of his name on myself. I growl to myself. Stupid, I gave him almost everything he asked for. But no, he couldn't wait. Had to think of what's in his pants. Douche.

And then the door opens. It opens and he comes waltzing right on in.

I'm up in seconds, my hand has found my knife in seconds, I've thrown it at his head in less than half of one. I'm the epitome of what a perfect knife marksman is now. I. Never. Miss. So the knife flies just centimeters away from Cato's pretty little face and sticks into the wall.

"Why the fuck" I stalk towards him as he stares at me, his eyes wide and blazing. "Do you think" In a split second I've gotten my hand around his windpipes, successfully cutting off just enough air so that he can't get me off of him. "You're doing back here!" I scream.

"Cain" he chokes out.

"Shut up Cato! You're going to listen to me now, because if you don't, I'll sure as hell knife you! You wanna know why I god damn won't let you fuck me!? You wanna know! Because maybe I don't like giving every. Little. Part. Of me to people! AND GUESS WHAT! OTHER THAN THAT, WHAT HAVEN'T I GIVEN YOU! JUST USE YOU'RE HEAD CATO! Damn you! We're both going into that arena in a year. And here's a wakeup call! ONE OF US IS COMING OUT! ONE! AND IT SURE AS HELL WON'T BE ME! WHAT ARE YOU GUNNA DO WHEN I'M GONE CATO!" I'm screaming and snarling at him now, my grip loose on his throat, but he doesn't move. "Because you'll come home a Victor and when you go in that house I. Won't. Be. There! Who are you gunna go to, because no one is going to want to be with you Cato! No one. Is going. To love you like I do! NOBODY CAN! BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL I HAVE LEFT! I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN'T. CAN'T FUNCTION WHEN YOU'RE NOT AROUND! WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN I'M DEAD? YOU'LL HAVE NOTHING TO DO, AND YOU'LL BE ALONE. I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES THE GOOD IN YOU CATO!" My voice cracks as tears start to flow down my cheeks. My hand falls from his throat. "I'm tired of empty promises Cato! I'm sick of these games you're playing with me. I cried all day yesterday Cato! BECAUSE I KNEW YOU DIDN'T CARE!"

Next thing I know his arms are around me. My face is in his chest. "Every single day I hope that you don't get hurt."

"Shhh, it's fine Cain." Cato rests his cheek on the top of my head. And we just stand there for a while, his hand rubbing soothing circles on my back. "I'm sorry" he whispers once. I only nod as I try to stop crying.

"I'm scared Cato"

"Of what?" he whispered.

"Death"

**So ya, it's short, I'm sorry. But you know what, I'm lazy, I wrote this quick, I wanted to get something up for ya. And this just seemed like a great place to stop, so yeah, I'll update in the morning. Don't worry though, Cato is not gunna be forgiven right away. **

**I'm lazy, I'll reply next chapter, though I did love all your reviews, they were all great!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey y'all. So, I'm going to bribe you, like takin candy from a baby. So, you know my tumblr, yup, so I'm posting a story only on there, so if you want ta read it, you gotta go follow me. Mwhahaha. Omg a bug flew by me, oh well anywho**

**I own the hunger games..yup, so do. Nawww, I'm just pulling your leg.**

*Two weeks later*

This is stupid, utterly and completely, fucked up stupid.

"Now chin up darling, and smile" can't the stupid lady tell I'm smiling? I guess not since that's the thirty fifth time she's told me that. Oh yes, I've been keeping track. But I try to smile anyways. "No! That makes you look so, not friendly!" I roll my eyes.

"Listen lady, I know how to kill you with a knife in over a hundred different ways, if I don't want to fucking smile, then I won't." Before I can think she's slapped my hand, and then it's back in her lap. "What the-"

"Manners! Manners my girl!" I'm going to kill this lady. Stupid tribute training. Stupid interview training. Apparently Cato and I aren't the most…personable people…in the world, so we've each started having to have training for our interview for the Games twice a week. Which, that in itself doesn't make sense, because for the Games, Cato and I will be on stage together..so why are we training separately?

Personally, I think this is like a mercy class or something, see if we can take someone super annoying who might be annoying and deal with them long enough without killing them. That would make sense.

"Fine," I sigh, "I'm sorry I want to throw a knife into your face"

"See yes! An apology, that's a step in the right direction hun!" she squeals, she doesn't know what sarcasm is, I bet she can't even spell the word.

"Now, let's have a civil conversation, and remember, no screaming, no threatening me, be, likeable"

"I am a likeable person" I say instantly, she rolls her eyes. I wonder how she even got this job, poor lady, having to deal with us. Too bad I don't feel bad for her. Whatever her name is, I was never told.

"No, no you're not. Tell me, when's the last time you said anything nice to someone?"

"This morning"

"Really!?" she sounds shocked, "What did you say?"

"I thanked my partner for getting the cereal down from the top cabinet shelf for me for breakfast." I say honestly. It sucks, being short. A thing that Cato loves to point out to me very often, like when he has to get stuff for me. I think he puts what I usually eat where I can't reach it on purpose….ass.

"Oh, that's good! Oh come on, smile!" I attempt a smile. "Wonderful! Now, let's get to questions. When you met your partner, did you get along at first?"

"We almost killed each other seventeen times in the first week" I say truthfully. 'Miss Prissy' as I nickname her covers her mouth and gasps.

"Why, my god! Why you could've gotten hurt!" In answer I turn around in the chair and lift up the back of my shirt, she gasps, apparently never seeing the evidence of what Academy is really like.

"I'm a bit used to pain." I say nonchalantly.

"Okay, okay, so what about your relationship now?"

"That's none of your god-damn business" I snap.

"Oh smile!" she lady reminds me after I give her a tight grin.

I get up and glare at the lady. "Oh manners! Sit back down!" she chirps. You know how I could make this whole situation even more amusing for me? I grab the end of my shirt, and lift it over my head, tossing the clothing at her, and promptly leaving the room in nothing but my shorts and bra. I can hear the lady screeching like a banshee. "THIS IS SO INAPPROPRIATE!"

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE A GIVE A FUCK?" I yell back sarcastically, I also flip her off while I walk away, just for fun. As I turn the corner I see Cato leaning against the wall, waiting for me. He's grinning like a fool. "Eavesdropping bastard" I mumble before his arm slides around my waist, pulling me towards him so he can kiss me quickly.

"You sounded like a little ball of joy"

"Yeah" I draw out the word.

"By the way, it was nineteen times, not seventeen."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I must've forgotten." Cato nuzzles his face in my hair, breathing in the scent. He's been acting different, sweeter with me since my outburst at his a couple weeks ago. I like it.

"Do you remember the time you 'accidently' left the knife sticking up from my pillow?" he mumbles.

"Oh no, forgot about that one. That was well planned too."

"Oh yes, too bad I looked at my bed before I laid down." I can practically feel his eye roll as we walk down the hallway, his hand on the small of my back.

"You don't lay down, you cause a freaking earthquake when you flop into bed." He chuckles at me.

"I'm a growing boy" he defends.

"Yes, six foot eight and two hundred and fifty pounds is a 'growing' boy" I roll my eyes at him.

"Sure is"

;;::;;

Five minutes after me, Cato comes to bed. Softly coming down so the bed barely moves. I smile softly as his arms wrap around me and pull me into his chest, which, much to my disappointment, is covered by a shirt.

"See, I don't cause an earthquake." I laugh at him as he gloats. His hand automatically finds the scar that still runs down the side of my face and he gently strokes it. I turn around in his arms so that I face him. Cato smiles at me sleepily. His blue eyes still shine, even though the room is dark. "We have training tomorrow again"

"No more interview training?" I ask hopefully, he always remembers the schedule we have.

"Not until Friday"

"Fantastic, I hate that lady." I say and Cato's hand stops, cupping my face.

"You hate everybody" he teases before his lips press softly on mine. It's different, softly, fleeting, coming from Cato. Usually he's passionate and hard, demanding. His kisses always make my head buzz, but this is different. This one, I don't know why, this one, if I was standing, I'm pretty sure my knees would've given out. My stomach goes in knots, wanting him to kiss me again like that, and I feel my heartbeat speed up. He was only there for maybe a second, and the words slip out of my mouth before I think.

"I love you" It's barely a whisper, but he hears me. He keeps his forehead on mine as he gazes into my eyes. A smile on his face, dazzling. I've never told him before now; he's never said it to me either. I'm almost positive that no one has ever told him they love him, no one has ever told me that. Not Brian, not even my parents.

Cato shifts his head so his lips are on my neck, he kisses it softly and I shiver, he smiles on my skin.

"I love you too" he whispers, and it makes me the happiest I've ever been in my life. And then I know, I can give him what he wants now.

**Woo! New chapter! You can all thank Xander for giving me inspiration after watching his amazing Ustream! AND IF YOU HAVEN'T FOLLOWED HIM ON TWITTER GO DO IT NOW IF HE GETS 1,000,000 FOLLOWERS HE'LL DO A USTREAM NAKED! COME ON I KNOW YOU WANNA SEE THAT! So yes, please review!**

**RueEvergreen: **aww thanks!

**BooBerry301: **Thanks!

**Aruano: **thank you!

**Nelle07: **haha yes! But he got out of the dog house so that's good.


	33. Chapter 33

**Sorry it's been forever! I've been busy! Oh so busy..it sucks. OH well, new chapter, wonderous third to last chapter of this story! OH AND BY THE WAY DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GO READ "DIVERGENT" BY VERCONICA ROTH! LITERALLY BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ! BETTER THAN HUNGER GAMES! And that's saying something. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. **

_When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have all of me_

_My Immortal, Evanescence_

_**X….X….X….X….X….X X….X….X….X….X….X X….X….X….X….X….X X….X….X….X….X….X X….X….X….X….X….X**__  
><em>

When I open the door to our apartment, I know something is wrong right away. Something's missing. I can feel it. I look around the floor quickly, taking note that everything is in place, but as I look closer, I notice the little things.

The bed is made. Cato and I never make the bed; we just leave the sheets thrown around however they are when we wake up. I walk to the kitchen; everything is in place, even when I open the cabinet. Our food is all organized, not thrown around. Not random. I close the cabinet door and my hand goes around the knife at my belt.

"Cato?" I call out. I get no response. "Cato?" I try again, but he's not here.

The front door opens and there's the sound of feet, their wrong though, not heavy enough. Not Cato. I walk over and see a boy, my age, putting his dog tags into the bowl by the front door. He looks up and grins when he sees me.

"Hey Cain"

"Who the hell are you?" I ask, my grip tightens on my knife, I've never met this guy before, never seen him. He puts his hand out as he comes closer.

"Cain, its Zeke. We've been partners since year three."

"No, where's Cato?" I demand, stepping closer to him, angling the knife so the light glints off of it.

"Cain, he's dead, he's been dead for two years." Zeke grins, "Bastard deserved to die"

"NO!" I scream at him, within seconds my knife is lodged in Zeke's skull. "NO!" I yell again as I rush back through the apartment, I pull out drawers, frantically searching. He can't be dead. He's not dead, he can't die. The clothes I find aren't Cato's, their too small. Too small, not his, he's not here. I run out of the room, out of the apartment.

"CATO! CATO!" I scream as I run, flying through the corridors of Academy. He has to be here, he's not dead, he's not dead.

_Are you, are you, coming to the tree. _

The song suddenly pops up into my head for some reason, I keep running.

_Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me. _

Somehow, I end up in the courtyard, and there I stop short. My knees hit the pavement, but I barely notice, I don't notice the scream that comes from my mouth. All I see is Cato. Cato. Cato. Cato. A cannon booms. A dead Cato.

Hanging, lifeless, from the tree in the courtyard. His blue eyes a dull gray, blood pools in his mouth and is slowly running down his face, off his chin, and pools below his feet. A hilt of a knife sticks out just inches from his abdomen. My Cato. Dead. Gone. Forever.

"CATO!" I scream again, tears stream from my face.

"Cain" I feel hands on my shoulders and ignore them. "Cain!" the voice is more forceful and I can't recognize it. "CAIN WAKE UP!" a stern voice commands.

I bolt upright and glance around quickly. My breathing is rapid. I'm in my room, not the courtyard. And then I see him, Cato's on his knees in front of me on our bed. Cato. My Cato. Alive.

I launch myself at him. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face in his chest. But I don't cry. "You were screaming" he tells me as he strokes circles into my back. "You never scream in your sleep" he points out. All I do is nod.

"You were dead" I tell him and his arms tighten around me.

"I'm not dead" he says sternly, "I plan on living a long life, with you"

"Good" I pull back and kiss him, he responds immediately. "Cause I'm not leaving you" I say sternly after we break apart. I fall back on the bed and pull him down with me, so that he hovers over me. He cocks an eyebrow at me.

"What're we doing Cain?" he asks. I smirk at him.

"Anything you want to do."

"Anything?" he asks as his eyes drift downwards and go darker. Like liquid sapphire, I love the color they turn. I yank him down so most of his weight is on top of me; I put my hands down and hook my thumbs in the waistband of his shorts.

"Anything" I lean up so my mouth is right by his ear. "Once you start, don't stop." I whisper to him, my voice low. A growl comes out of his mouth, his lips trail along my neck, he teases me. Biting my skin with his teeth ever so often as he works his way up. My neck, my jawline, then my mouth. While he's kissing me his hands work on my pants, slipping them down from me and then tossing them somewhere. I pull down his pants, easily, because I've done it before. We've seen each other with nothing on before, many times, just never farther.

Cato even pauses and glances at me, asking, giving me one last chance to tell him not to. But I don't. I just kiss him again, pulling on his hair to make him groan. Only I know how to make him groan, how to make him loose himself. Only me, nobody else.

At first, it hurts. It hurts a lot. My hand shoots down towards his pectoral and I brace myself using him.

"I'm sorry" Cato huffs at me, "Eyes on mine" he demands me, and I listen to him. "Relax" he draws out the word, letting out a breath. My hand drifts from his pectoral muscle to his hair and I stroke it as I try to do as he says.

"I love you" I breathe out, his lips crash to mine again in response.

And then I love it. And Cato makes me scream again that night, his name again. For an entirely different reason.

* * *

><p>When I wake up again I'm in a tangle of limbs. I open my eyes and the first thing I see is Cato. His face, sleeping. My head is on his arm, and there's practically no space between our naked bodies. His free arm is thrown over my side. But below our shoulders I don't know where he starts and I end. I think I've managed to hook my leg and foot all the way around his leg, though I'm not sure.<p>

I snort at that and Cato's eyes open in response to the air hitting his face so suddenly. I woke him up.

"I'm sorry" I whisper to him, he just grins.

"It's you."

"Yes?" I say, of course it's me.

"If it was anyone else I'd snap their neck" he kisses the corner of my mouth.

"Of course you would." I say seriously.

"How are you?" he asks after a minute of silence.

"Sore, but otherwise fine"

"Good. We have five months left." He tells me. Cato's excited. Excited for the Games. He keeps reminding me how long until the Reaping, how long until we get into the Arena. It keeps him amped up, gives him a drive in training.

I hate it when he reminds me.

**Sudden ending to the chapter. I know, sorry. So, anywho, I've decided that Academy will have one more chapter, then I'll be focusing on Even If It Breaks my Heart, and then Liv It Up, and then my friends, we will get the sequel to Academy: Academy: Part Two. Yeah, I'm a creative person. **

**Thank you for all of your reviews! I'll be replying next chapter and special thanks is going to be said to my loyal reviewers! You guys know who ya are!**

**PS. Follow my tumblr for updates, sneak peeks, and random stuff from me..I'm Mocking-Verse there. **

**R-E-V-I-E-W FOR CATO! AND TOBIAS! **


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey guys! So I decided I'm just going to finish this, sadly. It's been a great HOLY SHIT six months and two days. Seems like just yesterday I published chapter one. A longer thank you and reflection will be in the end authors note. So, for a final time:**

**I do not own the Hunger Games. **

Two months later:

Tangled limbs, skin on skin. That's how Cato and I wake up almost every morning now. I love it. I love him. More than I ever thought it was possible to love one person. But I can't imagine life without him. It's, that'd be, just, it's unthinkable. If I didn't have Cato. I'd kill myself.

Strong arms that could easily snap a neck in half tighten around me and I know Cato's awake.

"Hey" he smiles lazily at me.

"Hey" I stare at him.

"We have to get up, don't we?"

"Yeah" I sigh and Cato makes a face, his nose wrinkling up. I kiss his nose quickly before I roll out of his arms and get up. My feet hit the ground and I wrap my arms around my bare chest, I didn't realize how cold it was. I hear a deep chuckles before arms wrap around me from behind me.

"Cold?" he whispers, I feel his warm breath on my ear, his lips just graze my skin and it makes me want him, but we don't have time.

"Not anymore" I snort and glance at the clock, we have an hour. We could multitask. "Come take a shower with me"

"Why?" he asks, I can hear him grinning.

"Multitasking, and it'll save water."

"Fine" he says as he lifts me up and starts walking towards out bathroom, "But only so we don't waste water."

* * *

><p>"Halve! Ericson!" Brutus shouts out, he's working the pit fights today.<p>

"Give'em shit" Cato whispers in my ear as he lets go of my waist as I go down and descend the stairs into the fighting pit.

Ericson is a year four. He's taller than I am, bigger too, so I'll have to rely on quick thinking and try to keep my head clear. Though I can tell he hasn't won many fights in a while, he's weak, he hasn't eaten enough. I don't have to worry about the no win, no food rule. I'm already a tribute, Cato and I get as much as we want.

We face off in the center; I bend my knees and study him. He's balanced, more weight on his right side slightly though. If I can get him on the left he'll be easier to take down.

He lounges first and I don't even have to think of what I'm doing. I take a running step towards him and drop to the ground, rolling over my left shoulder and coming back up in a matter of seconds, darting away before he can turn and grab my ankle. I can barely hear the shouts of the other kids above us. My mind blocks them out. The only one that stands out is Cato, and, as usual, he's quiet.

Ericson flares his nostrils as he looks for an opening to strike, a break in my concentration. Too bad he won't find one. There's a loud bang of someone dropping a weight and his head snaps towards the sound for a split second. It's all I need.

I lounge and tackle him to the ground. We roll as I struggle with my hands to find something to clamp down on. My hand finds his neck and I latch onto it. The reaction noises are immediate, the stomach churning sound of someone trying to find air but can't. My hand keeps his jugular from moving up or down, if I was going for the kill, this would be faster, though worse for me, because you can feel them trying to breathe. I'm still on top of him when I feel him lift his feet off. I faintly feel them on my thighs before I'm launched backwards, forced to release my grip as I land and get the wind knocked out of me as my back hits the concrete.

I take a sharp intake of breath as I hear my back crack violently, my spine feels like it vibrates under me, I clench my eyes shut and force myself not to make a sound of pain. Show no pain. I can't cry out. I'll be punished if I do. I'm only down for about two seconds when I hear him.

"Get up Cain!" Cato. I roll to the side, my spine violently protesting. I try to get up, but I can't. I can't get up. I can't get up. "Get up!" I hear him again, moments later Ericson slams down on top of me, and I can't help it. I let out a wail. The room falls silent and I can't even notice that, all I feel is the indescribable pain that surges through my back.

A fist hits me in the face and I put my branded arm up to block it as my other hand goes to my waist. Slipping under my shirt my palm connects with the cool blade of my knife. I'm not supposed to have it with me. I bring it out to my side and flip the knife so I'm holding the hilt. It's feel strange, I almost never hold the hilt, I throw mostly by the blade. But I use it, I swing and then he's off me. His blood drips onto my face from his own where I cut him.

"Bitch!" he hisses.

"Rot in hell" I spit out at him. I watch as Brutus comes striding towards me, he's furious. When he gets to me he reaches down and grabs my wrist, snatching my knife and taking me wrist. He yanks me up and I scream again. I can't feel my back. I barely see Cato jump over the fence at the top of the pit; he lands after the ten foot drop on his feet.

"Let go of her" he commands, and Brutus does. And I fall to the ground, unable to stand myself. My vision blurs as my body starts to twitch and convulse without my commands. Each movement sends waves of pain up my spine, I start to let out little cries every time I convulse, but then it just turns into one, never ending howl. My mind goes fuzzy and I'm sweating like crazy.

"Cain!" I hear someone call, but I can't recognize the voice. "Help her!" it yells again, and then my world goes black, and I've never been so terrified.

* * *

><p>When I wake up I instantly reach for my knife, but it's not there. My eyes shoot open and all I see is white. I sit up in the bed, and then I recognize the intensive care unit for Academy, I've only been here once before. There's yelling from outside the door and then it suddenly slams open.<p>

Cato strides in. "You idiot!" he screams at me. "You fucking idiot! I thought you were going to die!" he grabs my face and his lips crash to mine. And then they're gone.

"What happened?" I ask him.

"Fifteen hours of surgery replacing a section of your spine happened." He shudders. "But now you're good as new, or that's what they said." He scoffs, "they don't care that Ericson had severely fractured your spine in three places, they're still pissed you had that knife with you."

"I always have a knife with me" I deadpan.

"I know" he shakes his head, "I thought I lost you" he looks to the floor; I take his face in my hands.

"I'm not leaving you, ever" I say seriously.

"Promise?" in answer I hold out my arm, his name is in bold letters, he holds out his so our names are side by side.

"Promise" I grin. "You're mine. Brutal, bloody, Cato." Cato shrugs.

"I'm not that bad" he shifts me so that he's sitting behind me and I can lean back into him. My head rests in the hollow of his neck and he rests his chin on top of my head and I take his hand.

"You're not bad at all."

**End scene. Wow, end of the story…I'm actually pretty sad. Oh well, I'll start the sequel in like, a month maybe, probably. **

**RueEvergreen: **of course you love me! Haha. And ya I'm waiting to get Insurgent, supposed to be in tomorrow! Oh my god I love how blunt you are, 'we've been waiting forever for them to just do it already' oh god I laughed for like ten minutes! I love all your reviews and always looked forward to them! You're always the first or one of the first to review a chapter, literally I see I got a review and I'm like, it's Rue, Boo, or aruano. Also I'll be very much missing your long reviews, but hopefully I'll get them in the sequel hint hint hint. XD

**Aruano: **haha thank you! I loved writing the interview training thing, I'm just like, Cain would hate this.

**Everdeenandpotter: **ahh thanks! And sadly, no Clove. I did have an idea for her appearance, but I forgot it. She may be in the sequel though, not really sure yet.

**KTstoriesandstuff: **A sweet Cato and Cain!? What has the world come to!?

**BooBerry301: **BOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry…hahah thank you for your enthusiasm. Ahhh I'll miss ya my firefighter bud bud. Lol bud bud.

**Guest: **Tumblr is Mocking-Verse

**Ah wow. Writing Academy has just been such a great thing for me! Absolutely this is my favorite story I've done, I always had ideas for it, even when I hate a block I knew where I wanted to go with it. I know exactly what I'm gunna do in the sequel. Which, you guys may be able to figure out if you read closely and pay attention to context. I've dropped some hints. I really am happy with the progression of their relationship in this story, I hate it when the characters just suddenly love each other, which clearly, Cain and Cato didn't just fall in love overnight. As for Cain. If you didn't know, Cain is the first murderer in the Bible. Even though Cain in the Bible is a boy, I just used his name for Cain in this story. **

**A HUGE THANK YOU to EVERYONE who reviewed this story! A especially special thanks to (in no specific order):**

**RueEvergreen**

**BooBerry301**

**Aruano**

**Lou the Third**

**KTstoriesandstuff**

**Nelle07**

**MissAmazing101**

**Bbymojo**

**A final thanks to everyone, may the odds ever be in your favor. **

**And I'll see you again at the District Two's Reaping for the Seventy Four Annual Hunger Games. **

**Mocking Verse**

**Live long and prosper. **


	35. AU

**Hey everyone, so I just realized something…I forgot to tell you that I posted the sequel to this story about a month ago. So yeah, you should go read it!**

**Responses to last chapter reviews:**

**MissAmazing101: **Thanks!

**RueEvergreen: **ohhh thank you!

**MonkeysGoBoo: **Yes, thank you for that suggestion!

**Nelle07: ** I just remembered too!

**Sxyblondgrl95: **Yeah, I'm working on writing longer chapters but thanks!


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